We Will Meet Again
by Yumiko Kaze
Summary: COMPLETE reincarnation fic. Miaka to goes to a concert with Yui. Who would have geussed that the singer Andy Wong would be one of Miaka's seishi? Since her relationship with Taka is waning, will she take this new opportunity for love?
1. Default Chapter

We Meet Again

By Yumiko Kaze

Chapter One: Serendipity

"Miaka!"

Sleepy green eyes looked up from half done World Religions homework. "Yeah?" she called, attempting to kick herself awake. She glanced at the clock. Wow. Midnight. She was really going to have to stop procrastinating like this; this wasn't just high school anymore. This was college.

"Phone! It's Yui!" Mrs. Yuuki yelled from the living room. Miaka felt a surge of disappointment; she had really been hoping it was Taka. Ever since Miaka had started her senior year of high school and Taka had taken a scholarship to a college overseas, it seemed that she and Taka were drifting further and further apart. They wrote letters to each other constantly, talked over the phone at least once a week, and whenever Taka made it back to Tokyo to visit, it seemed as though he had never left. Most people would have said that their relationship had never been better; In Miaka's opinion, it was leaving a lot to be desired.

As she trudged down the hall to grab the phone from her mother, she frowned. How long had it been since Taka and she had actually gone out and done something fun when he'd come to visit? For as long as she could remember lately it had been strictly work, work, work, for the both of them. In short; not very romantic for a couple who had once moved heaven and earth in order to be together.

And they had been engaged for how many years now?

Three? Four? She'd lost count.

She deftly snagged the receiver from her mother's outstretched hand, "Yeah? Yui what are you doing calling me at this time of night?" Miaka was distantly aware that she had likely sounded rude, but frankly, she didn't much care. She had homework to do. And she was _tired_.

The tiny sarcastic bit of her brain sneered, _Now whose fault is_ that_?_

Yui giggled on the other end, knowing her best friend well enough to realize Miaka wasn't really angry with her. "I'm sorry Miaka, but this is the only time I've been able to catch you all day. We were either in class or at work, and when I called around dinner time you weren't home either."

"Yeah," Miaka nodded, "I stayed late at the clinic today; I've never seen so many sick animals in one day. Dr. Jenson even had me help out in surgery since Kara is on vacation." She sighed, the after school job was great, she loved animals, and it helped her pay for her own enormous appetite. "Anyways, you don't want to hear me rant about my day, what _did_ you call about?"

"Um, yeah, about that…" Miaka could just see Yui tilting her head and scratching her hair in the nervous fashion she always did when she was about to ask someone to do something she thought they might say no to. "I won some tickets today at the mall."

Miaka cocked her head, interested in spite of her somewhat half-dead state. "To what?"

"To an Andy Wong concert; have you heard of him? He's starting his tour for his latest CD and he's supposed to be really good. He's Chinese, I think. Do you want to go?" Yui sounded almost as if she were going to beg.

"Yeah I've heard of him. A girl I work with is what you would call 'obsessed.'" Miaka glanced down the hall towards her unfinished homework. She'd be pulling an all-nighter to get it done… but tomorrow was Saturday. Besides, it seemed like forever since she'd spent time with her best friend. "Sure."

"Great! Hey, I've got a third ticket over here, Tetsuya isn't interested in going," _besides_, Yui thought, _it'd be rude to bring_ my _boyfriend when Taka is overseas. "_Do you think that girl you work with would like to come?"

"Yeah. You bet she would! You have no idea how much she loves that guy, Yui, seriously, you'll be her new best friend." Miaka laughed, picturing the pretty dark haired girl bouncing around the clinic when she heard the news.

"Did I mention they were backstage passes? After the show is over we get to meet the guy."

Miaka paled.

"Yui. Maybe we shouldn't bring her then."

On her end, Yui frowned, "Why not?"

"Because," Miaka explained, "The girl is going to need a straightjacket."

Well. Yui couldn't say Miaka hadn't warned her.

Of the some-odd three-thousand fans in the crowd, Ayame was most definitely the loudest.

Or maybe that was just because she was sitting right next to Yui and was screaming her lungs out. She winced as Ayame proclaimed her love to Andy Wong for what had to be the thousandth time, _Glad I have two ears, 'cuz_ that _one's shot._

It had been like that for the entire concert. Now that the show was winding down, the trio had slowly been making their way to the stage and around back. The girls were checked for any illegal items, after flashing their passes at the bodyguards and had been shown into a sitting room to wait for Andy to finish up with the last song of the night.

Yui claimed the only free space on one of the couches (the rest were covered with boxes and outfits) and so Ayame and Miaka stood, amusing themselves by poking around the room. It obviously doubled as a storage room; judging from the myriad of outfits hanging on racks, and as Miaka fingered one particularly beautiful outfit, she strained to listen to the last song, ignoring Ayame's attempts to sing along: it was a speedy one, with a beat that made your blood pump faster and lyrics that really made you _believe_ in what the music was telling you.

Yui had been right. The man was good.

Miaka couldn't help but be somewhat excited about being able to meet such a talented man with such a beautiful voice. She had immediately fallen in love with his music. Something about it seemed to tug at her heart; it seemed so familiar. She knew she knew that voice from somewhere, and because of that, she had the odd feeling that some of the songs were especially for her. Then again, that's what a songwriter strived for wasn't it?

The seats, having been virtually free, had been in the nosebleed section, even with the titanic sized screen on stage, Miaka still had absolutely no idea what this incredible singer looked like. She had stopped a few people with Andy Wong T-shirts, hoping to see a picture, and was disappointed to find that all his pictures were either heavily shadowed or silhouettes. All the same, she felt a little apprehensive about it as well. What would this Andy guy be like in person? Weren't people like him stuck up and self-absorbed empty-headed jerks? Ayame had informed both Miaka and Yui about everything from his birthday to (shudder) what kind of underwear he wore, (how in _hell_ did people find that out?) but she had yet to mention anything about the person behind the fame.

A techie ran by with a bundle of wires in her arms. "Thank you for being so patient. Just let him get cleaned up first and then we'll let you four have your little night out. How's that?"

Yui and Miaka smiled and thanked the girl, while Ayame bounced in excited anticipation. Miaka went back to snooping through the expensive clothes, trying to decide whether or not Andy would be a snob.

Miaka was just betting herself that he was an dumb drug addict with more good looks than he knew what to do with, when a voice snapped her out of her somewhat bitter thoughts. "Sorry I'm late," she heard the curtains rustle and Ayame squeal.

Andy smiled charmingly at the dark haired girl that, he assumed, had had far too much caffeine before being allowed backstage. _Please God, don't let all three of them be like that…_ He had nearly gone deaf out there on the stage. He was not looking forward to having an encore experience. Glancing over at the other two, he breathed a mental sigh of relief. Two sane ones out of three wasn't bad. In fact, it was better than he usually got. "One of the techies thought it'd be funny to lock me in my dressing room with this," he produced a somewhat abused looking mop. Yui guessed it had been used to jamb a door.

Upon hearing Andy speak, Miaka had turned, still slightly more interested in the outfits than in listening to Ayame fawn over the poor singer. In the instant she had seen his face Miaka felt her heart give an odd sort of leap before hammering away at her ribs like a crazed inmate on steroids. It can't be… It it's impossible… Isn't it?

Palms sweating slightly, Miaka had taken a step foreword; she wanted to see if this apparition was real. To touch him and make certain that it wasn't just her imagination playing some cruel trick on her.

_Hotohori?_

AN: It's been years since I've looked at this and now that I'm done with college and everything I thought I'd go through and fix a few grammatical errors and typos. While I was at it I tweaked a couple of lines. I have a feeling later chapters may end up with more changes that this one. (Updated 7-18-10)


	2. Don't Trip

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Two: Don't Trip

Yumiko Kaze

That was when her foot got tangled in one of the many coils of electrical cord laying on the ground.

With a yelp, Miaka pitched backward, closing her eyes, expecting to land on her butt with all the grace of a pregnant cow.

Needless to say, she was quite surprised when her rapid descent came to an abrupt halt as a flash of burnished silver and flaming red swept over her and in the next moment, Miaka found herself not sprawled on the floor, but rather suspended in the air with her head not six inches from the cement in the safe and warm comfort of Andy's arms.

She blinked up at the familiar golden eyes before taking stock of a situation that must have looked adorably cute and heroic to any on-lookers; Ayame in particular, who was _still_ bouncing and squealing inanely. Andy had one arm supporting her around the shoulders while the other was wrapped securely around the surprised girl's waist, as he leaned over her in an extremely exaggerated lunge, with one leg bent, supporting the both of them, and the other stretched out along the length of her own body. She was surprised he hadn't fallen over right on top of her.

"I…T-thank you…" she stammered, blushing at how close they were; the golden links of the necklace he was wearing dangled between them, the end of it gently resting on the exposed skin near her throat. She also marveled at how easily saving her neck had come to him. Could it be possible? Did he remember?

"Miaka are you alright?" Yui was crouching right next to her, looking concerned, but not at all surprised at the fall her friend had taken.

As Andy straightened up and set her down, Miaka pondered the situation. It seemed that even reincarnated; some inkling of memory, some incentive to protect her had survived. Either that or his looks were mere coincidence and he was just extremely gallant. She looked away slightly in order to hide the wet sheen that her eyes had taken on.

"You should be more careful," he advised, reaching out a hand and chucking her under the chin, "Don't want a pretty girl like you to end up in the hospital." Then he winked at her. Miaka was slightly startled, she had never thought of Hotohori as winker. Then again, he had grown up in a modern world, with a lot more freedom than he would have ever had in the book. He was bound to be a little different in some respects.

Then he shook her hand, looking at her as though he were expecting something and she remembered that in this world he had no idea who she was. Still slightly flustered after her fall, Miaka laughed slightly to hide her nervousness before finally introducing herself. "I'm Miaka."

"Miaka, that's a pretty name." She blushed at his compliment and he felt a sense of triumph that he had been the cause of it. He had thought she was adorable the moment he laid eyes on her, but she was even cuter when she blushed like that.

He smiled at her again and she felt that odd leaping sensation in her heart. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him until now. He had been her second Seishi, the one she had gone to for comfort when she needed it. Of course, she had loved all of her Seishi, but Hotohori had definitely held more of her heart than she was willing to admit back then, or now.

Ayame was chattering away even as Andy tried to introduce himself to Yui, who was smiling while attempting to glare daggers at Ayame, who since Andy's appearance had _really_ been making a pest of herself.

He looked exactly the same as he had in the book. Because of that, Miaka had to bite back a laugh at seeing the dignified Emperor of Konan clad in black jeans, and a nicely fitting silk shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned and rolled up carelessly. It wasn't that he looked funny, quite the opposite really. He looked _very_ nice.

She wondered for an instant why Yui hadn't reacted to seeing one of Miaka's Seishi reincarnated, then it occurred to her; Yui had never met Hotohori. She had only read about him in the book before being pulled in as an exchange for Miaka.

Miaka couldn't help but stare at Andy. He was just as handsome as he always had been. Golden eyes that met hers with an almost disconcerting directness, shadowed by long dark hair that seemed to change from silvery brown to almost black in different light. She blushed when she realized that those incredible eyes were returning her stare and looked away quickly. She would have to pull Yui aside later tonight and tell her.

The ride in limousine was fairly long; Andy had never been to Tokyo and thus had let the girls decide where they would eat. This resulted in a short but loud argument. Ayame had suggested something Chinese, so that Andy would feel more at home. Miaka and Yui had wanted to go someplace that offered more variety so that they could pick and choose and maybe even mix and match. Ayame had argued her case with such fervor that before long, both Priestess's had relented and allowed _her_ to choose their destination.

Miaka folded her arms and leaned against her window, promising herself that once she got home she was going to beat Yui for suggesting that they invite Ayame. She was upset. She believed she had found her second Seishi again, but with Ayame talking non-stop Miaka wasn't going to get a word in edgewise. She wanted to ask him so much! She knew that in the book world his home life had not been the greatest and that he had led a terribly isolated and lonely life. She _desperately_ wanted to know if life had been kind enough to grant him the love and understanding that he had so desired in the past.

She shot Yui a look and the former Seiryuu priestess sighed and closed her eyes in a silent apology. _That's the last time I try to be nice._

The limousine rolled to a halt and the quartet slid out easily out of the cushy leather seats to find themselves standing before a small, little known Chinese restaurant that had gone up not long ago. Miaka had never been there before, and when she looked up she smiled. The name was lit in neon red, the light casting a red glow on anything it touched: The China Phoenix.

_Now if that's not irony, I don't know what is._

She jumped slightly when she felt a hand grip her elbow gently, though she was only half-surprised to see that it was Andy. She grinned and then grabbed Yui's hand as Andy allowed Ayame to lead the rest of them into the small restaurant.

The night seemed almost to fly by after that. Ayame had fired question after question at Andy, only once in a blue moon had Miaka or Yui gotten to ask the singer questions of their own. That was all right. Just spending time in her Seishi's company was enough for Miaka, though she was saddened by the fact that after this she would more than likely never see him again except for the occasional television special.

That was when she realized that Yui was calling her name.

"Miaka? Miaka..." Yui waved a hand in front of her best friends face.

Startled, Miaka jerked out of her reverie and looked at Yui. "Yes? What is it?" Yeesh. How long had she been zoned out?

Yui rolled her eyes and repeated the question she had already asked at least twice, "It's late, do you think we should be getting home now?"

"What time is it?" Miaka managed to ask through her yawn.

"Oh, only about one-thirty in the morning." Sarcasm. Great.

Miaka squawked, "That late _already_? I have a test on Monday and I'm going to need all of tomorrow… I mean _today_, to study for it!" She rubbed her temples with her fingers and groaned. "Not that that will help me any, but I've got to at least _try_…"

"It's nice to know you girls are in school," Andy said, sipping his tea. "I was lucky to make it this far. I didn't really have anything else I wanted to do after college." He wrinkled his nose, "Although my parents did urge me to follow in their footsteps and study politics. My mother wants me to be a lawyer."

"Really?" Ayame asked, in awe of the fact that someone who was as gorgeous and talented as Andy had actually needed to go to college.

Miaka immediately repented for all of the mean things she had assumed about him earlier that night. Of course Andy had gone to college. Knowing now who he was, she realized that it shouldn't have come as any surprise. She was about ready to inform Ayame of this fact rather sarcastically when the girl asked yet another question.

"Where did you graduate?" Ayame fluttered her eyelashes and leaned forward so that she was at least halfway over the table.

Miaka eyed her acquaintance; _I hope she falls in that bowl of soup…_ She was feeling particularly protective of her Seishi. After all that had transpired in the book world, Miaka wanted Hotohori to lead the happiest life he could.

Preferably one _devoid_ of Rabid Fan Girls like Ayame…

"A university in China," he said simply. "I was interested in a lot of things."

"So what did you major in?" Ayame asked, wondering if the Fates had sealed her destiny with this man.

"Ancient legends and religions," he replied. "Studied the Chinese Mythology, particularly the Four Gods Faith, and I was going to minor in politics, but I love the fine arts, and then I took up singing…"

Miaka could feel her heart thumping in her chest. The Four Gods Faith? _Leave it alone Miaka. It's just a bloody coincidence._ As much as she wanted to believe that Andy was Hotohori reincarnated, some small part of her brain – the annoying realistic part that still had trouble believing that she had ever been inside the book, had been slowly whittling away at her theory until Miaka almost thought that she had to have been mistaken. _Hotohori wouldn't be here. He would have wanted to be reincarnated in the book world; he would have wanted to be able to protect Houki and Boushin… He gave up on you _remember_?_ The voice had a point.

"Tell me more!" Ayame begged, wanting desperately to show Andy that whatever he was into, she could be into. She could be anything he wanted her to be… She wasn't particularly into Myth's, but for Andy… "I bet _you_ graduated top of your class, right?"

Andy smiled slightly, though it didn't reach his eyes, he glanced at Miaka and Yui, hoping that one of them would take the hint and _save_ him…

"What did you learn?" Ayame continued, leaning forward until she was less than six inches from Andy's face.

"About the Four Gods?" he asked, cocking his head and tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear nervously even as he scooted his chair backwards, (Ayame sighed dreamily) "My, you certainly are interested."

"Uh-huh," she muttered dreamily. Andy snorted softly, he didn't want to be rude to the girl, but she was trying just a little _too_ hard.

He glanced at Miaka, who looked rather nervous, if not sick. Yui, on the other hand, looked intrigued. The blonde fingered a single blue stud in her ear, "That's odd, I didn't realize that the Ancient Mythology was an available major."

Andy shook his head, glad to be talking to someone other than Ayame. "It's not. It was my own personal interest. I took it up in an independent study."

"Tell us!" begged Ayame; she was nearly bouncing out of her chair. Miaka glanced at the chair legs, surprisingly, none of them were cracked.

Finally he relented, "Well, there were, are, four gods of ancient China. One god presided over each of the cardinal regions. Byakko had the West, Seiryuu the East, Genbu the North and Suzaku the South."

Yui and Miaka flinched slightly when their respective gods were mentioned. Miaka rested her chin on her hands and wondered idly if he ever had dreams about his past life. Had any of his music been inspired by it? It was an interesting thought, but not one she felt comfortable asking him.

Andy continued, "And for each god there were seven Seishi who were charged with protecting the Priestess, who was said to have come from an entirely different world."

"Oh my god..." Ayame breathed. "Miaka, are you listening to all this?"

Miaka nodded dumbly. Of course she was listening! She had _lived_ it! But it wasn't the words coming out of Andy's mouth that held her transfixed… She cast a glance at Yui, did she see it? The Seiryuu Priestess flashed her a wide eyed look and Miaka snagged one of Yui's hands under the table, giving it a quick squeeze, telling her not to say anything. Knowing that Yui could see it too told Miaka that she wasn't going crazy. Miaka glanced at Ayame and Andy. Did they notice anything?

However, Andy was still recounting the story, both he and Ayame seemed oblivious to the symbol that had begun to glow a hot reddish color, "And the priestess was granted the power to summon the god to do as she wished, she got three wishes, and if she passed the test, all would be well."

"What kind of test?" Ayame was _really_ getting into this. Sheesh. You'd think _she_ was the one with one of her reincarnated Seishi sitting in front of her. Actually, Miaka herself was taking the whole thing more calmly than she'd ever thought she would. "And who were the Seishi?"

Before Andy could answer that he didn't know, Miaka interrupted, a distant look one gets when reliving memories clouding her eyes. "If the priestess was not strong enough, the beast god would devour her, taking over her body and wreaking havoc on the land. There were twenty-eight Seishi in all, seven to each god like Andy said. Every one of them was named after a star constellation that was located in the god's region of the sky."

She looked up, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. "I only know the Seishi of Suzaku and Seiryuu, but I know a few of Genbu and Byakko."

"Let's hear them," Ayame said, irritated that her coworker had captivated Andy's attention, but intrigued in spite of herself. "I didn't know you knew this kind of stuff."

Miaka's mind reeled as she recited the familiar names.

"First, there was Tamahome, the crab." She felt a little better, braver, after saying her fiancé's name first; like she had reestablished something. An image of the money grubber after he had rescued both her and Yui leaped to the forefront of her mind.

"Then there was Chichiri, the water well, and Tasuki, wing." Happy memories of the blue haired monk and the rowdy bandit flashed before her inner eye and made her smile.

And then an image of a sweet little boy, spoiled by the bitter memories of his untimely death, "Chiriko, stretching, I think it was. And Mitsukake, sadness, was it? And Nuriko, the willow." Memories of the cross dresser appeared without permission and she found herself wanting to laugh, cry, and hit something all at once.

"And then..." Suddenly, Miaka found herself struggling. "Then...there was..."

She looked up into Andy's eyes and everything seemed to screech to a halt.

Suddenly, Miaka was back in Hotohori's chambers, the night he had confessed his feeling towards her. She felt her heart quicken and her face burn as she remembered how he had made her feel that night. His hair had fallen around them, seeming to create a world that was just for them. His weight had been on her and now the heat in her cheeks intensified as she recalled how much she had _liked_ that feeling. Despite her growing feelings for Tamahome, she had _wanted_ Hotohori to kiss her. If Nuriko and Tamahome had not interrupted as they did… Miaka's heart thudded in the realization that if Hotohori had indeed kissed her… _No!_ She quickly chased those thoughts from her mind.

Andy, concerned at her silence, reached out and laid a hand on her arm. "And?" He prompted.

And the spell was broken; Miaka shook herself and apologized before continuing, "Hotohori, the hydra. Said to have been the Emperor of the Southern Kingdom of Konan."

Andy looked impressed that she knew so much, but other than that… No reaction. The symbol had faded, and that pesky realistic voice was back, telling her she had been hallucinating. But Miaka had no intention of listening to it anymore. Andy was Hotohori, she was _sure_ of it. And if Yui had seen the mark as well…

It pained Miaka that he obviously remembered nothing. Her adventures with her Seishi were some of the nearest and dearest to her heart. She and Yui preferred not to converse about them however; as Yui's time spent in the book was something she would prefer to forget. Taka, it seemed, also preferred not to speak of it much. As far as he was concerned, he was done with Suzaku and Suzaku was done with him. But Miaka did not wish to forget all of the wonderful memories she had made in the book world. Desperately, she wanted someone to talk with; to help her not forget.

In all the darkness she currently felt, there was a faint glimmer of hope. He _had_ rescued her from her earlier fall. The Seishi instinct to protect her... it seemed that that was unforgettable.

Yui took her turn reciting her own Seishi's names, managing to be a little more articulate than Miaka and not stumble too badly over Nakago or Suboshi's names. Andy and Ayame listened intently; this was all new to both of them.

When she was done, Andy looked at his watch and stretched his arms, tilting his head back and leaning back in his chair. Ayame and Miaka (to her own horror) found their eyes tracing the very well defined muscles that inadvertently came into view as his shirt rode up enough to give the girls a good peek at his perfectly sculpted abdomen.

"I think we better go now. It's late."

Miaka felt something in her gut go all squishy and she immediately quashed the feeling. The man sounded almost as if her were purring! Miaka glanced suspiciously at him as he stretched out the kinks in his joints. Did he know how cute he looked when he did that? Had he done specifically to drive them both crazy? Well… Ayame more so than herself… but still!

"Yes," Miaka finally answered, mentally smacking herself for gawking at another man, as they all got up. _Idiot! What are you thinking? You have Taka!_

Miaka grabbed Yui's arm, this was her chance! "Excuse us for a moment, we'll be right back." She drug her friend to the back and once entering the bathroom checked all the stalls, upon finding them empty, she locked the door and turned to Yui.

"What _was_ that Miaka?" Yui asked, gesturing to her throat to indicate where the symbol had been on Andy.

Miaka could feel a wave of adrenaline wash over her as she told Yui what she suspected, her hopes rising by the minute.

"Wow." Yui rubbed her arms to ward off a sudden chill. "Do you think that means that _my_ Seishi could have been reborn into this world as well?" She looked around the room suspiciously, as though expecting Tomo or Nakago to pop out from one of the walls. As much as Miaka loved her Seishi, Yui felt no such love for any of her own. With the exception of Suboshi. Poor Amiboshi almost didn't count; she had never met him, though she had heard a great deal about him from his brother.

Miaka shook her head. "I don't know, I hope not." She looked down; Yui would know that she meant no offense. "We'd better get back out there, we've been gone a while, they might leave without us."

They slowly picked their way around the tables and chairs, talking in quiet voices. Miaka kept her gaze trained on Andy the entire time.

Andy saw them coming immediately and gave them a look of unmistakable relief, and Miaka could see why. Ayame was clinging to his arm and once again – not that she had ever really stopped – talking up a storm, flattering Andy constantly and all in all making Miaka and Yui sick.

Andy paid the waiter and as they stepped outside to wait for the limo, Miaka felt a sudden chill hit her and she rubbed her arms to warm herself. It wasn't long before her teeth were chattering audibly. Her T-shirt and skirt weren't doing much to keep her warm. Andy took this chance to detach Ayame from his arm. Shedding his long leather trench coat, he handed it to Miaka. "Here,"

Miaka accepted it gladly, wrapping the grossly oversized article of clothing around herself securely with a muttered 'thank you.' She could see Ayame out of the corner of her eye, fuming quietly that Andy had not offered _her_ his jacket. Then again, Ayame had brought a jacket of her own. It wasn't long before Andy's chauffer arrived to pick them up.

Eager to get out of the cold, the foursome piled into the limo, Ayame managed to seat herself next to Andy, who gave the other two girls a long suffering look. Needless to say, none of them could wait to get Ayame out of the car.

They dropped off Ayame first, who did not appear to want to say goodbye to the handsome man. Andy bid her farewell, taking the girl's hand in his and kissing the back of it before closing the door and telling the driver to get moving. Even from the confines of the car, Miaka and Yui could hear the girl squealing happily. A look out the rear window confirmed it: The girl was doing a happy dance in front of her apartment building. Miaka rubbed her temples. _Where's my aspirin when I need it?_

Next they dropped off Yui, who merely shook Andy's hand once again before embracing her friend, muttering in Miaka's ear to call her once she got home. As Miaka and Andy waited for her to get safely inside, Yui hurried up the steps of her apartment to let herself in, turning at the last minute to wave goodbye, before disappearing up the stairs.

"Did you have a good night?" Andy asked, sliding back in the backseat with her and slamming the door as they started for Miaka's apartment.

"Yes." Miaka was horrified to find that she was blushing. At this discovery Miaka mentally berated herself for even looking at another man, much less one of her own Seishi. Especially one who had had such strong feelings for her in the past and she had rejected! Her being attracted to him _now_ just felt more than a little hypocritical.

"It surprised me greatly that you were so interested in the history of ancient China," he mused, hand gently rubbing his jaw in thought. "I had grown up in the city and my father had wanted me to be a politician, but I wanted, more than anything, to learn about the history of my own country. How it came to be, both politically and ethnically, if you know what I mean." He shifted a little in his seat, now their legs were brushing each other. She could feel the heat of his body through the black denim of his jeans. Miaka self consciously tugged at the hem of the skirt she was wearing. The darn thing refused to stay where she wanted it. _That's the last time I wear one of these confounded things._

"Yeah I get it. You wanted to know what had helped shape where you lived and how and why everything is the way it is." Visions of the past whirled around her in a dizzying spiral and she had to avert her gaze to the roof of the car. She had helped shape that past.

The two talked the rest of the way to Miaka's apartment, since neither of them had had much of a chance to do much talking until now. Unfortunately the ride ended all too soon and Miaka found herself standing just outside her apartment complex, saying her goodbyes to Andy.

"I had a great time Andy." She smiled, taking off the coat and handing it back to him, "You know, before I met you, I thought you were going to be one of those spoiled, insensitive, drug addicted playboy types that everyone always hears about." When his eyes widened slightly with hurt, without knowing why she was doing it, Miaka reached up and let her hand rest on his cheek. "You proved me wrong."

Looking slightly embarrassed, Andy laid his own hand over hers, bringing it down, but still keeping a firm hold on it. "I'm happy to hear that." His eyes bored into hers with a kind of humor, and Miaka blinked in confusion. Yes. The girl was most definitely a cutie. He closed his other hand over her free one, holding them earnestly. "I would have to say that you proved me wrong as well, Miaka." He paused, squeezing her hands gently. "And I'm glad of it."

As he turned to leave, Miaka felt her heart thump painfully. This would probably be the last time she ever saw her Seishi again in person. She could feel the all too familiar pick of tears behind her eyes. She jumped slightly when he turned around abruptly. "I hope we meet again," he said, taking her hand with a painfully familiar sadness glowing in his eyes. Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it as he had done with Ayame, and then looked deep into those bright green eyes. Eyes that he had the oddest feeling he had seen before, and knew without a doubt that if he let himself, he could get lost in.

In fact, he wasn't so sure it hadn't already happened.

Miaka fought the tears tooth and nail. But the way he was looking at her, it seemed that he was looking right into her mind and heart, pulling on strings and pushing buttons, making her feel things that until now it seemed only Taka and before that Tamahome had been able to elicit out of her. Before she knew it, her eyes were wet at the thought that her Seishi would be leaving her just as quickly as she had found him.

Andy felt her tears tug at something in his chest. "Please don't cry," he said. "There's nothing sad about us parting."

_Oh yes there is,_ Miaka thought. _I wasn't there to help you when you died. And you _swore_ that you wouldn't die. Then, I met you once more, but only for a little while, and you already had a son. I wanted to help you more than you can ever comprehend. You were the last to die, and it crushed me that I couldn't do anything. Hotohori, if only you remembered. I finally get to see you again and I can't even stir your past memories. Taitsu-kun would forbid it. _

Knowing that if she spent too much longer in Andy's presence she would likely break down and start crying, Miaka pulled her hand back. "Good night," she said, hugging him briefly before heading inside.

Andy lingered on the sidewalk a moment longer. He didn't know what it was, but there was… _something_ about that girl. He could have sworn that he knew her from somewhere. Not only that, but she had seemed to feel the same way. And… there was something else about the petite russet haired girl with the green eyes that seemed to call to him. Whatever it was, it made his pulse quicken and his temperature rise. When they had been alone in the car it had taken all of his will power not to kiss her right then and there. It would not have been either proper or within his right to do so. He had seen the ring on her finger. She was off-limits. But something still seemed to draw him to her. Something he couldn't quite explain.

As he slammed the door of the limousine behind him, he sprawled himself out across the backseat, thinking.

Yes.

He most definitely wanted to see her again; and something had been telling him to go for it, despite the obvious competition he would get from whoever the boyfriend was. This was the first girl in a long time he had really felt _anything_ for, and he it felt almost as if he knew from experience that he shouldn't be letting her get away. As the limousine left the parking lot, Andy turned to cast one last look at the building; smiling to himself as he touched two fingers to his lips and blew a kiss towards the girl that he knew had captured his heart. The question was would she be willing to give him hers in return? As he turned to face forward again he nodded to himself with utter certainty, he was sure that his instincts would not let him down.

_We _will_ meet again…_

Miaka hummed the tune to one of the songs that Andy had sung at the concert earlier as she trudged tiredly up the stairs. She would bet anyone just about anything that she was the only sane person in the building that was still awake. As she fumbled with her purse for her keys, she frowned, her hand connecting with something flat and hard. Pulling the object out, dropping her wallet and a few pieces of candy while she was at it, she found a CD. He must have stuck it in her purse when she wasn't looking. An eyebrow rose in interest, she had never known Hotohori to be so sneaky.

The cover had one of the heavily shadowed pictures of Andy on it, but now that she knew what he looked like, she could make out those gorgeous eyes of his, no problem. Then it occurred to her. The reason all of his pictures were shadowed was so that he could walk down the street without being recognized and mobbed by an army of rabid fans. _Smart…_ she smiled. She would actually pay money to see the dignified Emperor running for his life with a mob of rabid women closing in behind him. The image made her chuckle quietly to herself as she opened the CD to see if he'd signed it. Sure enough, he had.

He had written a truly sweet note to her saying that he had enjoyed their time together and that he hoped that they would see each other again sometime. In true Hotohori fashion, it was impeccably worded and written in beautiful penmanship that Miaka knew she would never be able to duplicate even if her life depended on it. As she got to the bottom her eyes widened.

_He couldn't be serious, could he? I mean, he's… _him_, and I'm just… _me_._

But there they were; Seven digits and two little words that said it all.

Call me – 157 – 4247

He'd just given her his personal cell phone number.

AN: Again with the minor editing's. I completely forgot that I had Andy give Miaka the CD. I surprised myself! (Updated 7-18-10)


	3. Friends

AN: *has a happy grim permanently affixed to her face* Thank you all you wonderful reviewers!! I wasn't sure anyone would like it, I guess I was wrong!! I should mention right now something that I somewhat neglected to earlier, the concept of this story is mine, but the first couple chapters were originally co-written with my best friend… We'll call her Thatz, cuz that's nice and short. The idea sort of died, and after reading Leather and Lace and The Promise I really wanted to do a reincarnated Hoto/Miaka fic… So I drug the thing out of the closet and rewrote it so it'd go along with what else I have planned for this fic. Anyways, just thought I'd mention that…

And yes… The China Phoenix _is a real restaurant that's right up the street from where I live. I laugh every time I go to eat there. And of course I try to look at all the people that work there, just to see if any of them look "familiar." So far, no such luck. *pout* Anyway… Onto the ficcy!_

**We Will Meet Again**

**Chapter Three**

**Yumiko Kaze**

Andy rolled over onto his back, folding his arms behind his head and twisting his already abused sheets even more firmly around his legs. He closed his eyes as he yawned; he was still somewhat tired after the night before. It seemed that whenever he gave a concert he was never completely rested the next morning. Though…this time, his fatigue really had nothing to do with the bright lights and the exertion of putting on a good show.  No, indeed, it was something else entirely that had kept him from his well earned sleep.

Miaka had occupied his thoughts throughout the night. He would be genuinely surprised if he had slept for more than a total of two hours. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face. He smiled fondly as he remembered how sweet she had been. Most girls that he met had acted rather like Ayame, though reactions varied from screaming ninnies to girls that said little, wore less, and tried to charm their way into his bed. Miaka hadn't even seemed to realize that he was a famous, good looking and sophisticated super star. His eye twitched slightly, _Should I be insulted about that?_

He sighed as the sunlight streamed in through the semi-opened blinds of the hotel room and played across the bare skin of his chest. It had scared him, how quickly she had wormed her way into his thoughts. She was the first girl that he had met since he'd made his first big hit that hadn't tried to impress him. She was certainly one of the first that didn't seem to be immediately in love with him. He felt he should probably be insulted about that as well… His eye twitched again. Was he not her type? God knew he was definitely _handsome enough… So that couldn't have been the problem. Though… he remembered her tears as they had said their goodbyes the night before, she had acted like she had found something precious and was suddenly having it ripped away from her._

So maybe she _did like him?_

His lips pulled downward into a frown. Tears didn't suit her. She seemed like someone who you would probably never see without a smile on her face, seeing her tears had almost made _him_ want to cry. He preferred to remember her smiling. Her smile, it seemed, had been just for him, and those gorgeous green eyes of hers… the light he could see shining in them had immediately brightened the lonely cold thing that had for so many years, passed itself off as his life.

Ever since he could remember, he had been raised to be what his parents considered a leader. He had never had many friends, because he had been shuttled to so many different schools he was lucky if he was in one place long enough to learn anyone's name, much less get to know anyone. His parents had pushed him to become what they had wanted him to be, and he had complied. At times he was disgusted with how easily he had allowed them free reign over his life. Nevertheless, he still loved his parents, though he supposed they probably didn't deserve it at times. Even now when he was making such a great living and pursuing his dreams, they had no praise to offer, only criticism and the constant advice on what he _should_ be doing with his life.

He wondered briefly what Miaka's parents were like.

The shrill screeching of his cell phone caused him to sit up sharply.

_And if it's not my parents it's my manager…_

_Figures I'd leave the damn phone all the way over there. He scowled at the offending object as though it had somehow placed itself on the opposite end of the room and that it was entirely the phone's fault that he was going to have to get up in order to answer it. And of course he had to answer it. Mr. Kimoto probably wanted to rant about last night's performance and arrange plans for publicity for the week that they were going to be in Tokyo. He frowned at that. A week. One short week and then he would be leaving Tokyo for another city. _Another city with another million screaming fans…__

_But no Miaka._

The phone beckoned him a third time and it was then that he realized that yes; it could very well be his manager, but on the other hand… Well. He _had given her his cell number for a reason!_

Suddenly feeling wide awake, Andy leaped to his feet, momentarily forgetting that he was still under siege of no less than three different blankets. He hit the ground with a most undignified yelp before scrambling on his hands and knees over to the table where he had left the cell phone. Why hadn't he put the thing on the stand by the bed in the _first_ place?!

He fumbled with the phone for a moment until he managed to hit the "talk" button, bringing it to his ear so fast that he cracked himself on the head, "Hello?" he knew he probably sounded a little breathless, but that was okay. Considering that he was still having a one armed battle against the _extremely stubborn sheets and comforter..._

"Andy?"

_Yes!_

"Miaka!" he said happily, though mentally he smacked himself, _Stop sounding so eager! She'll think something's wrong with you**! Who cares? She ****called_!_**_

He smiled as she giggled slightly on the other end, "Yeah, hey." a pause, "Well. I called you. Your turn."

"My turn, eh?" He checked the clock and ran through a mental checklist of everything he knew he had to do today before gazing straight up at the ceiling – he had long since given up escaping the sheets – and crossing the fingers of his free hand. "Miaka… I know this may sound very forward, and maybe just a little bit weird, but…I'd really like to see you again sometime."

On the other end, Miaka smiled. This was the chance she had been hoping for! If she said yes, she could see Hotohori again and maybe establish a friendship like they had once had, preferably a platonic one… Otherwise Taka wouldn't be all too happy. She grinned into the mouthpiece, _When opportunity knocks…_ "Of course Andy, I'd love to see you again."

Andy felt his heart give an odd thump at that. "Great! Would you care to meet me for lunch today outside the place we ate last night?" He really didn't know where anything else in the city was… And if she didn't want Chinese again so soon, they could always go for pizza.

She was silent for a moment, which worried him slightly. _Please don't hang up, please don't hang up…_ he pleaded silently. When she finally answered, it was in a voice so quiet, he wasn't really sure he'd heard it.

"Alone?"

"Uhm. Yes. Alone was what I had in mind."

Silence again as she thought it over. Was she weighing the pros and cons of going with him vs. the boyfriend? Had the boyfriend already asked her to go somewhere? He felt a surge of intense jealousy rise in him and he quickly squashed it. _You knew__ she had a boyfriend already, so don't be disappointed if she decides to blow you off… He was almost ready to attempt crossing his toes for added good luck when she finally answered him. "Alright. What time?"_

Thanking any god that might be listening, Andy set up the time with Miaka, before hanging up and lying in the patch of sun he had fallen in, spread-eagled and staring at the ceiling with a glazed over expression. Alright, Miaka had said yes to lunch… but that didn't really mean anything. They hadn't really specified that it was a date or anything, so she was likely looking at it as simply a lunch get-together with a potential friend. And there was still that _other guy in the running._

Andy scowled darkly at his ceiling as that thought crossed his mind. _Lucky _bastard…Whoever he is.__

_Tokyo__ is really__ crowded. Miaka groused silently to herself as she maneuvered her car throughout the congested streets of the city. She wondered to herself if she and Andy would even be able to find someplace to eat that wasn't already full. Her stomach growled at the prospect of something like that occurring and she laughed quietly to herself. No matter how old she got, her stomach was still in charge – though to a somewhat lesser extent than in her teenage years._

As the China Phoenix came into view, Miaka could see Andy waiting patiently, leaning against the glass window of the restaurant with his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans, scanning the traffic. His long dark golden-brown hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, the sun bringing out some honey-colored highlights that were otherwise invisible. As Miaka parked her car and stepped out, a chilly autumn wind picked up and Andy buried his chin in the collar of his leather trench coat which hung open enough for her to see that he was wearing a white t-shirt underneath.

The sight of how _normal he looked almost brought Miaka to tears._

Miaka checked her reflection in the side mirror quickly, wondering idly if he was still as narcissistic as he used to be and wanting to look at least presentable. She had opted to wear jeans today, not wanting to experience a repeat of the night before when the flimsy material of her skirt had refused to stay down on her legs. A gust of cold wind kicked up, blowing her bangs into her eyes and making her ponytail swing. Yes, jeans were definitely the best choice for today. The wind blowing up her skirt wouldn't have given her a moment's peace.

Andy spotted her then, sacrificing one of his hands to the chill wind and waving at her. Miaka smiled and waved back, once again firmly telling herself, _This is just a simple lunch between two possible friends. It's not a date. It's not_…What if Taka finds out?__

Miaka frowned fiercely. So _what_ if Taka found out? Then _you'll tell him exactly what happened. It's not like Taka really has any say in who your friends are after all._  Nevertheless, she was still slightly worried as to what she was going to tell Taka when she told him that she had found Hotohori. As Andy took her hand and kissed the back of it once again, Miaka shook aside those thoughts, deciding that she'd stew over them later.

Like sometime when one of the most gorgeous men she'd ever met wasn't making her practically melt on the spot. 

Darn him and his…his…well; just darn him altogether for making her feel this way when she knew she shouldn't be.

Andy tilted his head to the side, "What's with the frown?"

Miaka conjured up her brightest smile, "Nothing. I was just thinking." she shrugged, "Mom says I take after Dad in that department. So where are we going? I'm starved!" Her stomach growled, demanding attention. She grinned shyly up at Andy, "Eh. Sorry. I haven't eaten anything yet today."

Andy laughed warmly, grasping her wrist lightly; he pulled her down the street a ways, speaking as they walked. "Do you like pizza? I was thinking we could get some, but I didn't know if you liked it or not."

"Yeah! Of course I like pizza! _Everyone_ likes pizza!"

He snorted slightly, "Not my older brothers. They hate it."

"How can anyone hate pizza?" Miaka wondered aloud as they entered the pizzeria and got in line to order.

"No idea. What do you want? Cheese? Pepperoni?" he had not yet released her wrist, and was absently rubbing the back of her hand softly with his thumb.

Miaka blushed slightly, but allowed him to continue as she answered, "Cheese please, but pepperoni's okay if that's what you like."

The two enjoyed their pizza and each others company for the next hour or so before the manager kicked them out, apologizing for doing so because the lunchtime rush was starting and he needed the space. Andy was walking Miaka back to her car when his pager went off. He apologized before grabbing his cell phone, dialing the number; he waited impatiently for whoever had paged him to answer.

"Andy!" the voice on the other end was so loud that Miaka could hear it from where she stood.

"Yes sir?" Miaka gave Andy a questioning look, still absently sucking soda from her straw, and he rolled his eyes, mouthing the word 'manager.'

Miaka could only discern a few words, but from the way Andy was frowning she assumed that whatever was going on wasn't something that Andy was happy about. After few minutes of his managers ranting and raving, Andy was finally able to get a word in edgewise.

"Yes Mr. Kimoto, I understand that the lyrics were supposed to be in this morning." He frowned when the voice on the other end rose in pitch and began speaking very fast, Andy bowed his head slightly in a gesture of defeat, "I apologize. I'll bring them in right away." Andy clicked his cell phone off and let the hand that held it fall limply to his side, still holding his cup of soda in the other. He sighed, giving Miaka a look that she knew meant that their little 'date' (and neither of them had yet confirmed whether or not this _was one or not) was going to have to come to an end._

"You have to leave?" she asked, eyes downcast, her voice revealing no small amount of regret that her companion would have to depart from her so quickly. "That's alright. I understand. Your job comes first right?" Miaka felt irrational tears start to brim and she shoved them back irritably. _Just like Taka; always having to leave at any time._

Andy nodded dejectedly. He had been so excited about being able to see Miaka again that he had completely forgotten his prior engagement with his manager. "I have to take some material over to my manager. Some new songs he wants to look over. Stuff like that." He frowned again and closed his eyes, taking a sip of his soda, "I don't know why he cares anyway. It's not like he ever actually lets me use my own material…Maybe once in a blue moon, but not often."

Miaka felt something inside her flare at that. Andy was being restricted to doing only the music his manager wanted him to do? She felt an undeniable surge of dislike for whoever this 'Mr. Kimoto' was. She didn't know what kind of a person he was, but she already didn't like him on the simple fact that he had chewed Andy out for not bringing material that he wasn't even going to take seriously!

However.

Now was not the time to make an argument out of it.

Instead, Miaka tossed her soda into the nearest garbage bin and fisted her hands on her hips, "Can I come with? I'd really like to see some of your material. I was wondering how this whole process worked anyway." she laughed a little and smiled, hoping to win him over by being as cute as possible. "Besides, I don't have anything else to do today anyway. This is my day off!"

Looking surprised that she had offered to tag along with him, Andy smiled slightly, throwing his own soda away. "Are you sure you want to come? It might be kind of boring." Though he was trying to sound as indifferent as possible, he really did want her to come along. That way he'd have someone to make faces at when Mr. Kimoto started rambling on about…something.

Miaka shook her head, "Nah. Nothing you do is boring."

Andy's little half-smile suddenly bloomed into a full blown grin. Extending his hand to Miaka he raised an eyebrow, "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." He stepped up to the curb, "I'll hail a cab."

Miaka dug her heels in and with her free hand tugged on the sleeve of Andy's jacket. "No Andy. Wait." When he turned to give her a questioning look, wondering if perhaps she had changer her mind, she jerked her thumb, "We'll take my car."

They arrived at Andy's hotel in no time; having lived in Tokyo all her life, Miaka knew just about every shortcut in the book – thanks to the wise tutelage of Tetsuya and Keisuke. Once they climbed what seemed like a million stairs, they entered his room and Andy immediately went over to where all his bags were stowed, pulled out a briefcase, opened it and began riffling through the pages of paper, pulling what he wanted and leaving the rest. Miaka had placed herself by his shoulder and as he leafed through his work, and was able to read most of what he had written. Then she frowned.

"Hey Andy," she began, he hand going to stay his own and plucking the top sheet from the pile, "This isn't anything like the stuff you sing."

He absently took the sheet back, placing it back on the top of the pile, "I know. I told you, Mr. Kimoto doesn't let me use my own material very often," he sighed, "he says it's just not the kind of music the companies are looking for."

Miaka snatched the paper back, "But this is _good_! It's way better then anything I've heard you sing before! Do you have music to go along with it?"

Andy blinked, not quite sure what to make of her. He eyed her somewhat warily. Apparently there was much more than met the eye with this petite girl with the flashing eyes. Andy stared; her eyes challenged him, seeming to say that she thought he was being cowardly for not standing up for his own music. But they also held a warm glow that told him she didn't mean any harm, she only wanted him to be happy, and _that_ seemed to make everything okay again. He nodded, "Yes, it's right here." He held up some sheet music.

"Can you sing it for me?" she pleaded.

"Uh. I don't know…" he blushed; she was actually the first person who'd asked him that. Not even his family cared to know what he had written on his own or wished to listen to it. It was _all_ about the money to them…

"Please?"

Andy was just about to relent when his cell phone rang, "What?" 

It was Mr. Kimoto.

"I'm sorry Andy, but you know that last song you pitched me? The one about the guy who was waiting his entire life to find 'the one,' and when he finally finds her she's got someone else, and he lets her go?"

Andy felt his heart sink. He knew what _that_ tone meant… Well. That was just one more song he wasn't going to get to do… "How do you want it altered?" he muttered, his voice sounding hollow and bitter even to his own ears. They were _always_ doing this to him! He'd write a song that came completely from the heart, turn it in, hoping that this time he'd actually get to sing his own material, and Mr. Kimoto and his team of lackey's would rip it apart and glue it back together in such a horrific way that Andy wished that they'd have just scrapped it in the first place.

"Oh, we don't want it altered. We scrapped it."

_Figures… "Alright, but I want that copy back." He sighed. This had been one of his favorites that he'd ever written. At least if it was simply scrapped he wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of having it ripped to pieces._

"We threw it out. It's _gone_." 

Andy's golden eyes flashed angrily and he barely suppressed a growl, "What? That was my _only copy!" _

"I'm sorry Andy. Next time make a copy." Mr. Kimoto attempted to sound repentant and sincere, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

"You wanted it in _immediately! I didn't have __time!" Trying to restrain himself, Andy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright sir; Do whatever the hell you want." Then he hung up. Miaka found herself bewildered. Andy had __just barely managed to sound polite, but Miaka could see that he was suppressing something very much akin to rage._

"What happened?" Miaka spoke quietly, knowing by his expression that she was likely treading on thin ice.

"They scrapped _another one of my songs…" Andy groaned, sitting down heavily on the bed in defeat, propping his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. "They _always_ do that… No matter how good the song is! If it's not written at least partly by the company, it's not good enough."_

Miaka sat down next to him gingerly, "Why don't you push for your own music then? I mean, you're the star; the fans love _you_, not your manager."

He groaned again and lay backwards, staring at the ceiling. "If I don't do what they say, I won't _have_ a job anymore. The fans might love me, but the company could fire me and find someone just as good looking as me… well, _almost_, and make him just as famous while I'd be out on the streets with nothing but shattered dreams and my parents ridicule. They always told me I was foolish..." He felt tears welling up and he closed his eyes in order to hide them from Miaka. 

Miaka growled and Andy cringed, "So? Is having shattered dreams and lots of money _really worth it if you're not __happy?" When he didn't answer her, Miaka felt that spark flare in her again and she leaned over him in order to try and __will what she wanted him to understand through his stupid, thick, _male_ skull._

"You _idiot! Just because someone tells you that you can't _do_ something doesn't mean you have to _listen_! So what if your manager tells you not to sing your own music? __You're the one with the gorgeous voice; __you're the one with the talent, _not_ him. So _you_ should be making your own choices!"_

Andy opened his eyes and for a moment wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. Miaka was leaning over him, one hand braced on either side of him; she was glaring down into his face so that her green eyes and her auburn hair seemed to fill his entire line of vision. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears of anger, and… sadness, for _him_. He felt his heart constrict that she was feeling such pain on his account. He thought it must be a trick of the light, but for that instant, he could have sworn she was surrounded by a bright red aura that shimmered like rubies in the sunshine.

He stared up at her, wishing that they were doing _anything_ but arguing about his job, "You don't _understand_ Miaka. I _want_ to be doing this. If I don't keep certain people happy with me I won't be able to do what I love." His eyes darted quickly from her eyes to her mouth and the brief fantasy of kissing her flashed in his mind. She moved to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear and lost her balance, ending up sprawled across his chest. His breath caught in his throat as he felt heat rush to everywhere that they touched. He locked gazes with her as she was lifted up and down slightly with each breath he took. Did she know what she was doing to him? How she was making him feel? _Paws off Andy… She has a boyfriend…Damn, damn, damn_!__

"Why don't you get it? You don't have to be _famous_ to do what you love." She shifted, readying herself to crawl off of him and Andy felt a flash of annoyance. Now where did she think _she was going? Miaka continued, tapping his nose with a finger as she spoke, "That's _it_. We're getting your guitar, and we are going down on the street and you are going to sing your music right down on the corner! And you're going to sing it __your way!" _

As she began to pull back, Andy reached up and stopped her, gripping her lightly by her shoulders. She struggled for a moment, still adamant about getting outside and making him sing he supposed. Then she simply froze. As she glared down at him, Andy felt his heart swell at the fact that she could care so much about someone that she had just met. He was surprised at himself that he was already feeling such a strong attraction to the girl. Her obvious spirit and courage was… refreshing after having been bent to other peoples wills his entire life.

Although… he really didn't think he would mind being bent to _hers._

"Miaka…"

"Leggo." She muttered, unfortunately seeming to snap back to her senses. "I'm gonna show you that you don't _always_ have to do what other people tell you. Sometimes you have to live your own life whether anyone wants you to or not –" Andy wasn't really listening to what she was saying; he was too busying staring at that mouth of hers. That lovely little mouth…Though at the moment she was using it to yell at him…He could fix that.

She was abruptly cut off as Andy suddenly shifted his grip, wrapping both his arms around Miaka, effectively pulling her back down on top of him and captured her lips with his. When she released a startled sounding yip, Andy smiled against her lips, reveling in the feel of finally having Miaka so close to him. 

Miaka had been wound so tight that she wasn't quite ready to give in without a fight, even as Andy's warm lips moved against hers, urging her to just give in and let it happen, Miaka wiggled, attempting, with no success, to break free. It didn't take long however before Miaka finally succumbed to the warmth of Andy's arms around her and the heat of his body stretched out beneath her. Later, she wasn't quite sure if she should be mad at herself for that or not.

Andy sighed, moving one hand from its place on her back to the back of her head, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. He rolled to his side, taking Miaka with him and felt a surge of delight when he felt her hands come up and curl into the folds of his shirt. 

Miaka, to her horror, found that her heart had accelerated to three times its normal speed and that she had butterflies in her stomach.

And of course that mind blowing kiss was having absolutely nothing to do with it…

And then she found herself responding.

_What about Taka?_

Abruptly, Miaka wrenched herself away from Andy, hiding her face in his neck when he tried to kiss her again. "We can't do this." She whispered. As much as she might have wanted to continue, she knew that what was happening was wrong. She shouldn't lead Andy on like this when she still had every intention of staying with Taka for the rest of her life.

Trying to catch his breath, Andy stroked the nape of Miaka's neck with his hand, "Why not?"

Miaka squirmed at the pleasant feeling; Even Taka had never figured out that she liked that… And that though somewhat disturbed her. "Because. I already have a boyfriend. Doing this wouldn't be fair to either him or you." Miaka felt her heart clench painfully. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to turn him down a second time…And really wished he would _quit_ doing all the right things, because that made it so much harder to turn him down.

_Damn._

To say the least, Andy was disappointed. But true to form, he was the gentleman. He would honor her wishes and not push her anymore than he already had. Getting that kiss had been enough for the time being, though he still didn't feel like letting her go just yet. Burying his face in her shoulder, Andy released her except for the arm that still lay across her waist. Propping himself up on his other arm, Andy looked down at Miaka with a deep regret shining in his eyes. It would figure. He had finally found the one girl that had completely captured his heart, and she already had someone. Just like his dream…Just like his song.

"I'm sorry." Miaka looked away, wishing that he would either let go of her now, or just kiss her again, because their close proximity was driving her crazy.

Andy nodded in resignation, as he stared down at her, hoping that she would change her mind and go back to letting him kiss her. Seeing that she wasn't changing her mind, he sighed. He may have lost this battle, but something inside him was still telling him that he had not yet lost the war. Maybe if she could just get to know him…then maybe he would have a chance. Well. In any case, it would be worth the heartache if he at least got to spend some more time with her. 

Knowing that it probably sounded rather pathetic, Andy looked down, trying not to let her see how disappointed he was, "Can we still be friends?"

From her prone position Miaka smiled, her eyes tearing up slightly at how _sweet he was. It really pained her to have to do this again. Taking the hand that lay across her waist and intertwining her fingers with his, she nodded, "Friends."_

To Be Continued…

AN: *Happy grin is _still_ affixed* Thank you for anyone who took the time to review the last couple chapters! I was having somewhat of a block, and the more reviews I got the more incentive I had to write. *hinthint* (I'll admit, I love reviews… I may be a review hog) Anyway. I will be going on vacation to Missouri in the next few days, so if a new chapter is not up by Wednesday, there won't be one up until I get back since I will be fending off thirteen nephews and nieces for four or five days. *sigh* Hey, you try writing mushy stuff when you have five of the little buggers looking over your shoulder going "Ewwwwww!" and "Can't we play the Sims? I like the Sims. Why did my person die?" *growl* _Because_ you moron, you didn't feed it, you wouldn't let it sleep or keep any of it's vital stats up! *rocks back and forth* I'm gonna go insane down there… *whimper*


	4. Not The Only One

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Four

Yumiko Kaze

            After the two had established where exactly the lines lay for their tentative new friendship, Miaka and Andy had gathered the forgotten papers and headed down through the lobby. As they passed the receptionists desk, she spotted them and gave a small shriek before managing to call out to them, "Mr. Wong! Mr. Wong, hold it! I have some packages for you!"

            They stopped and waited while the receptionist dug around in the tangle of…stuff that was jumbled behind her desk. After a moment she shuffled out carrying a pile of boxes (mostly candy) stacked higher than her head and a batch of letters which even from this distance Miaka could tell had been dowsed in perfume. 

            She nearly managed to hide her giggle, but Andy saw her anyway. When he looked at her she simply grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Your fan mail I presume Mr. Wong?"

            Andy threw her a dirty look and sighed, taking one of the letters and ripping it open. He quickly scanned the contents of the letter before dropping it in the nearest trash bin and muttering something along the lines of "oh the humanity" under his breath.

            Miaka cocked her head and asked, "Something wrong?"

            Andy sighed, "Do you want the chocolate?"

            "It's yours isn't it?" Miaka eyed the truffles greedily, but seeing as she had just eaten lunch, she wasn't all that hungry.

            "I don't want it!" He snapped, his eyes shifting from side to side.

            _My goodness what did that letter say? Miaka glanced at the box, "Eh. No. I think I'll pass for once." She quickly followed Andy as he turned to leave, walking much more quickly than he had been a few moments before. "Andy, wait up! My legs aren't as long as yours!" _

When he slowed down enough for her to catch up, he wasted no time in ushering her into her car and locking the doors. As they got their seat belts on, Miaka, still smirking with suppressed laughter, could stand it no more. "What was in that letter anyway? It sure made you act weird!"

Andy was looking around cautiously, as though he expected a monster to leap out of nowhere. Finally, as they were pulling out of the parking lot and heading onto the street, Andy leaned back in his seat and let out a relieved sounding sigh. "It was from one of my more, shall we say, "passionate" fans." He covered his eyes with his hand and leaned toward the window. "And this particular one has been sending me things for quite a while now. Every letter she sends gets more and more involved and obsessed sounding. Whoever she is is really starting to creep me out. She always knows where I am, and she's sent me so many gifts it's sickening. I replied _once, to her first letter which was something along the lines of "I admire you; you're the best singer ever." And after that she somehow convinced herself that I'm in love with her! I've never even seen this girls face!" Poor Andy looked like he was about to suffer an aneurysm. _

Miaka giggled, "Sounds like you've got a girlfriend out there." She paused and tapped a finger against her chin, "Actually…sounds more like a harem to me." She grinned at the unintentional pun about his past life in the Book, "So," her grin turned devilish, "Which one's gonna be the lucky wife?"

"Don't joke! It isn't funny!" Poor Andy looked absolutely horrified at the prospect. His hand was clenched over his heart and the other was gripping the door.

Miaka's giggles soon exploded into all out laughter and though Andy tried to look irritated, but with Miaka's laughter ringing in his ears, he just couldn't do it. On the way to Mr. Kimoto's office, they made small talk, eventually falling into a companionable silence.

Once they arrived at Mr. Kimoto's office, Miaka opted to stay in the car for fear that she would if she met him she would lose her temper and end up getting Andy in trouble. She had no desire to ruin his career, and she wasn't exactly sure how the music business worked anyway; Maybe this was the way it worked for all singers. But still… it didn't seem _right that Andy wasn't allowed to use his own music._

After about twenty minutes or so, Andy reappeared, not looking at all happy with how things must have went, but upon seeing Miaka, his expression brightened greatly. As he slid back into the car, Miaka glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she started the engine up once again. "So, how did it go?" She almost dreaded hearing the answer for fear that he had let Mr. Kimoto push him around once again.

"Same as always: I argued, they yelled, I eventually gave in." He sighed and hung his head slightly.

Miaka frowned before pulling over to the side of the street. _I can't believe that I almost forgot about my threat!_ "Come on." She opened her door and pulled Andy's guitar out of the backseat.

"What?" Andy's eyes widened as he watched Miaka carry his guitar across the street to the opposite street corner, "Miaka where do you think you're going?" she didn't answer, "Hey!" Andy fumed when she ignored his protests and planted his feet firmly on the floor of the car. _I don't care what she says. I'm _not_ moving._

She kept going until she had reached the corner. When she got there, she set the guitar down on the ground and then turned to face where he was, still seated in the car. When she motioned for him to come over, he shook his head and tried to shrink down in the seat, hoping that he could pretend she wasn't talking to him.

From her spot, Miaka glowered at what she could see of Andy's head. The man had managed to squish himself down into the seat so that she could just barely see his hair and eyes. Her eyebrow gave an irritated twitch at her Seishi's lack of response. _Hotohori… "Andy!" She growled, fisting her hands on her hips and scowling. "Get over here!" _

From his hiding place, Andy simply shook his head, crossing his arms in a childlike pout. _Make me._

Half an hour and at least three threats of bodily harm later…__

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Andy muttered as he strapped on his guitar, all the while glaring at Miaka out of the corner of his eye.__

"Believe it." She chirped, laying the guitar case next to him.__

"So what am I supposed to do now?" he looked around at some of the passerby; most of them giving the pair strange looks before moving on and continuing whatever they were doing beforehand.

"You sing, silly."

"Sing what?"

"Whatever you want! If it makes you feel better, start with something easy; a song that everybody knows." Miaka crossed her arms and circled him, thinking.

Andy eyed the girl, he still didn't quite know how she had managed to get him to agree to this. He looked to the sky, a song that everybody knew? Like what? As he thought, his fingers began to move on their own, plucking away to the tune of a familiar folk song. When he realized what he was doing, he began to hum along to the tune, still not quite comfortable with the idea of singing in a public place. He knew that that likely sounded pretty stupid, but this wasn't a concert where people had paid to see him, and there wasn't that nice line of bodyguards between him and the crowd… Oh dear.

As he played melody after melody, Miaka stayed by his side, tapping her feet and swaying slightly to the music. Andy felt something warm begin to build in his heart as he watched her body move to the sounds he was creating. They hadn't said much since he had started playing, but they didn't really need to. She genuinely cared about him and what he wanted to do and in her own (rather direct and somewhat unorthodox) way had tried to help him accomplish his goals. He knew few people in the world like her, and he doubted that very many existed in the first place.

A slightly jingling made Andy look up and he smiled charmingly at the couple that had passed by. A few people that had stopped to listen to him play had even dropped some money into his open guitar case. Miaka had seen this and suggested that they go out for ice-cream later if it continued. Wanting any excuse to stay in her company for just a while longer, Andy had agreed wholeheartedly to the idea.

He was just about ready to attempt singing when a group of men, possibly in their late-thirties or early forties, strolled on over to the corner he and Miaka were occupying. Andy noticed some rather large objects in their hands and he had the wild notion that they were weapons of some kind. Before Andy had a chance to say anything, or to even attempt to get Miaka out of the way, the men began to sing along to the song that he was currently playing.

It was when several other instruments joined in, that Andy realized that what the men had been carrying weren't weapons, but instruments. Miaka laughed in delight at the spectacle the group made and she felt a flash of regret that she didn't have her camera with her. Really, the sight of a rock star and a group of middle aged men reliving their younger years as a band was _really a Kodak moment._

It wasn't long before the little group began to pull in a crowd. As the sidewalk began to fill up with people wanting to watch the make-shift band play, Miaka had to fight for her position at the front of the crowd. As more people started stopping, Miaka sidled up to one of the older men and handed him some of the sheet music and had "borrowed" from Andy's briefcase.

"Can you play that?" she felt like she was yelling, but in middle of the din that they were creating, she knew her voice was likely no louder than a whisper.

The man continued playing his violin as he glanced over the paper. Not once missing a chord, the man nodded. "Yeah missy we can play that."

"Great!" she handed him the paper and then repeated the process with the other four before stopping at Andy. 

They had just finished playing one song and Andy was about to start another folk tune when he heard a very familiar sounding melody begin to build on the chords of the violin. Casting a glance at the girl next to him, Andy blinked. _Could she have? When Miaka winked at him and gave him a light nudge in the ribs with her elbow Andy sighed. __She did…_

Resigning himself to his fate, Andy too began to plug away at the familiar tune on his guitar, when it came time for the vocals; Andy closed his eyes, imagining that he was back in his hotel room where the only ones that could hear him were the rug mites. He could do this! He could! Because, like Miaka had said, this was _his life. He couldn't spend the rest of it doing what other people told him to do._

Miaka gasped slightly as Andy began to sing. She had thought he was wonderful at the concert, yes. But she had been so far up in the seats that she had been unable to get a decent look at Andy's face while he was singing. As she gazed upon him now, she was astounded to see just how deep into the song he was getting, how much from the heart the lyrics had to be. He had his eyes closed and head bowed, but the expression conveyed by the line of his mouth and the tilt of his eyebrows, even how tightly clenched his eyes were, told Miaka how much this song and others he had written had to mean to him. How much he had to love what he was doing.

Her brow drew together in a frown, _And__ Mr. Kimoto thinks he can just rip it all apart does he?_

The man had to be insane. This was so much better than any of the songs Andy had sung at the concert.

It was when Andy was somewhere in the middle of the song that the real and true meaning of the pieced struck Miaka. The song was about _her_.

Well, not her precisely. The song never mentioned any names. But it _had to be! The song was describing all the pain and heartache that Hotohori must have went through in the ShinJinTenChiSho. It relived the details of a love triangle and the broken heart of the narrator, it even included the death of the narrator and how much he loved the girl even then. Miaka's hand involuntarily leaped to her mouth and pressed against them in order to keep them from trembling as she felt the tears threatening to spill over__. All this time and I never knew…I knew he cared for me and I knew he did love me… but I never knew how much! I never knew how much he loved me._

As the last strains of the song died away, Andy opened his eyes, his golden orbs capturing Miaka's teary green gaze. As his face drew into an expression of concern, Miaka reached out, almost involuntarily, and wrapped her arms around Andy's waist. (how she got around the guitar she would never know) Burying her face in the folds on Andy's t-shirt and jacket, she let the tears overcome her and cried. "Andy that was so beautiful… I didn't know anyone could write anything that wonderful…"

As she cried, Andy wrapped his arms around her slim form, resting his chin on her head, wishing that that moment could last forever. Looking around at the huge crowd that had formed, Andy smiled to himself as he allowed himself to indulge in the feel of Miaka letting herself be held so willingly in his arms. Today had to have been one of the best days of his life. He had found the girl of his dreams, he had stolen a kiss from her on their first unofficial date, and she had helped him out with his music. Getting him to sing on the street corner and make a fool of himself in public. When Mr. Kimoto heard about this, he wasn't going to be happy at all. But frankly, at the moment Andy didn't much care. He had just enjoyed himself more in one day than he could ever remember doing in his entire life. Today he had actually enjoyed himself and what he was doing; something that he hadn't done in a very long time. He sighed happily as the other guys began to pack up their instruments and the crowd began to dissipate. Looking down he tightened his arms protectively around the girl in his arms, _And__ I owe it all to you, Miaka._

_Miaka stood silently, hands coming up to cover her face as she closed her eyes in an attempt to erase the horrible images that would forevermore be burned into her minds eye. The sun beat down on the battlefield, mercilessly baking the unmoving bodies of fallen men. Rider less horses roamed freely amid the surge of battle. Miaka felt a silent scream tearing at her throat, fighting to be set loose. As she scanned the sea of dead bodies and bloodstained grass, Miaka felt her heart constrict with a certain knowledge. This wasn't what she was meant to see, there was someone out there, calling to her. Someone that she needed to reach._

_Hotohori.___

_Miaka turned wildly, trying with all her might to locate her Seishi. But try as she might all she could see were the soldiers of Konan and Kutou, each side mindlessly hacking away at the other. Everywhere she turned all her eyes met was blood and death and destruction…_

_However; atop one hill, it appeared the battle had come to a halt. Miaka suddenly found herself there, standing on the outskirts of a small regiment of soldiers, Tasuki and Kouji included, who were crowded around a handsome young man with long oak and ash colored hair. The strands were strewn about him as he lay there, still adorned in what was left of his armor with his sword at his side. As Miaka crept closer, she could see that the young man was none other than Hotohori. _

_Tears leapt to her eyes and Miaka fell to her knees at his side. Tasuki and Kouji apparently couldn't see her, because neither made any movements to keep her from seeing what she knew she had to see. Tears spilling down her cheeks, Miaka reached out a hand to brush against Hotohori's cheek and gasped when her hand went straight through him. She had assumed that he was dead already, but she was proved wrong as his amaz9ing golden eyes fluttered open and he turned them unto the heavens._

_"Miaka…" he whispered softly._

_"Hotohori!"__ Miaka sobbed, once again trying to touch her Seishi, to give him some small piece of comfort in his last moments of life. Once again her hand went straight through._

_Seeming not to know that she was there, Hotohori continued staring into the sky as his men worried over him, telling him to just hang on a little longer until a medic could be called. Hotohori ignored them, seeming to be answering something that only he could hear. "Miaka… Miaka's voice is coming from the sky…"_

_Miaka felt her chest nearly explode with the painful memories that came flooding back to her. This had happened before…When she and Tamahome had come out of the Book. Keisuke had come to her and told her of Mitsukake's death and then had urged her to read as Hotohori's own death had come on swift wings. Miaka wrapped her arms around herself and cried harder than she could ever remember having cried in her life._

_So this was what he had went through? This was how Hotohori had died? She had read what had happened of course, but the Book had never been very descriptive in the first place, and she had had no idea what had really been happening to her beloved Seishi._

Hotohori… So this is what you went through? And I wasn't here to help you. I'm sorry…_ As Hotohori spoke, Miaka felt like just curling up and dying right there on the spot. She had caused this man such pain. I don't deserve to live__,_ she thought bitterly to herself, _I'm a horrible, horrible person to have survived while people like him lost their lives…_

_But Hotohori was still speaking, "We will all meet again. Beyond worlds and beyond time, surely…"_

_Hotohori pulled out a tattered square of paper and Miaka immediately recognized it as the photograph she had taken earlier of all of them together before leaving for Hokkan. I don't believe it… All this time and he still kept that?__ As he fingered the faces in the picture, Miaka could suddenly hear his thoughts. Her eyes widened as his fingers ran over her face in the photograph._

_"Knowing you has taught me to live…"_

_She couldn't stand it any longer, "Hotohori you can't die! We need you! Houki__ needs you!" she screamed at what felt like the top of her lungs, but the soldiers and Hotohori were oblivious._

_As the hand holding the photograph fell onto his chest and his breathing slowed to a stop, Miaka screamed, throwing herself at his prone figure, forgetting that she couldn't touch him. "I__ need you."_

_No response._

_The young leader of the Konan Empire, Fourth Emperor Saihitei, the Suzaku SichiSeishi Hotohori, had fallen._

Miaka woke up in tears. She sat up quickly with a startled gasp. _What a nightmare… Placing a hand to her forehead and wiping her eyes, she tossed aside the covers with a small grunt and then headed out to the kitchen, hoping to find a clean glass and get herself a drink of water. As she sat at the kitchen table and sipped her water, noticing faintly that it was still the middle of the night, Miaka tried to recall exactly what her dream had been about. When flashes of it raced to the forefront of her mind, she shook her head and attempted to think of something happier. She recalled earlier that day when she had made Andy sing on the street corner. He had looked so incredibly happy to finally be singing something that he had written and have people be enjoying it that Miaka had felt almost as proud as if it had been her doing the singing and song writing. _

And that reminded her.

Just how _did she feel about Andy?_

Miaka pursed her lips and eyed her water. She loved _Taka_ of course! So she couldn't feel anything other than friendship for Andy. It just… couldn't be allowed. After all she and Tamahome/Taka had gone through in the past in order to be together, it would seem utterly foolish to throw that all away for the reincarnation of someone she had rejected in the past! They had moved Heaven and Earth for their love and until recently had been very happy together. In fact, they were still happy together. The only problem was that Taka was attending an overseas college and was able to find very little time to come back and see her.

She frowned, but when Taka was here they always got along great! It was as if he'd never left in the first place! She and Taka loved each other so much that nothing had been able to keep them apart. Not the advances of an Emperor, not a vengeful best friend, and certainly not the fact that Tamahome had existed only inside the Universe of the Four Gods.

He had promised her when he'd been pulled back inside that he would find her again; even if it took thousands and thousands of years to do it. And he had kept his promise!

_Beyond worlds and beyond time…We will all meet again. The words seemed to have been whispered, either that or some distant part of Miaka's brains was still attempting to sort out that dream._

Miaka jerked. Managing to knock her glass of water over and bang her knee on the underside of the table.

_The dream…_

_Hotohori…_

Yes. Tamahome had indeed sworn his love to her and promised that he would find her again.

But he hadn't been the _only_ one.

To Be Continued…

AN: Ha! I DID it! I punched out another chapter before I had to leave! Hopefully this one is up to par with the rest of them since I was kind of rushed… *cough* You can thank Hayai for that *cough* Anywho. The next chapter should be out shortly after I return from Missouri. That'll be the seventh. Once again I'd like to say thank you to anyone who took the time to review because getting reviews really just makes my day. That's really the only way I know people like my stuff, so… Yeah. It's a happy little cycle! I make you happy with my story, and you make me happy by reviewing! *grins* And it's all just so much fun! *cough* Okay that's enough cherry juice for me… Oh! And I have a rant of injustice to proclaim! My mom got me the fifth Harry Potter book today, but she won't give it to me until tomorrow morning! *sniffle* It's not _fair I tell ya! Even though I kind of __guessed who dies, (being as I'm cursed) I still wanna read it! *grumble* And why did it have to be _him_ of all people? Of _anyone_ JK could have killed off it had to be my _favorite_ character! I'm _cursed_ I tell ya! _All_ of my favorite characters die/dissapear and/or get their hearts broken! Every single time! After the Order of the Phoenix thing, my friends decided that now I am _forbidden_ from picking anymore favorite characters. Seriously… It's just uncanny. Hotohori, Nuriko, Zechs, Nightcrawler, Vegeta, Trunks, Legolas, Spike (well, he's a vampire, he's dead already), Allen, Kouga, Miroku (he gets rejected __many a time) and now _him_! And there's a lot of others I can't think of right now! Does anyone else see a _pattern_ here? They all have pitiful family lives, broken hearts, and they __die! *sniff* I think this says something about what's going to happen to my first husband… I'm going to go to bed and cry myself to sleep now… I'm depressed._


	5. Mondays Suck Most of The Time

AN: I'd like to thank everyone for being so patient with me getting this chapter out. I know it took _forever and I'm sorry. Though I _do_ have a reason. Gateway is evil. My computer illiterate father took my computer in to fix a problem with the mouse (it kept quitting on us so we had to un-plug it then plug it back in fifty million time a day) and Gateway fixed it…by formatting the hard drive and deleting _everything_ on it. Therefore all my hard work was gone. Including the almost finished original version of this chapter and the outline for the rest of the story. (AND THE OUTLINE!!! *Hiss*) If it hadn't gotten deleted, this would have been up _weeks_ ago. I swear; It's harder to __rewrite a chapter than it is to write it for the first time. _

Oh yeah. I had a little _fun with this chapter and decided to stick in some OC's (that make only a brief appearance) that are modeled after some friends of mine, and of course __me. Er. The names'll likely give 'em all away. I was considering making you all guess which one was me, but decided against it. *shrug* Actually… my characters the only one that got a good description, and that's just 'cuz I can sum up exactly what I look like in one easy sentence. *cough* Anyway… Onto the long awaited chapter._

We Meet Again

Chapter Five – Monday's Suck… Well. Most of the time.

Yumiko Kaze

 "So you'll be coming on Friday? That's great! My classes are all in the morning, and Kara usually lets me take off when I ask since I don't do it that often, so I'll get off work and then we can hang out for the rest of the day. How's that sound?" Miaka smiled into the phone as Taka once again assured her that he would _indeed_ be returning later that week. Specifically, Friday morning.

The plan was that Miaka would go to class as usual while her mother and Keisuke, along with Tetsuya, would go to pick Taka up at the airport and take him back the apartment. Then when Miaka and Yui got back from class they would all go out for lunch. Miaka wasn't particularly excited that her mother and brother would be tagging along, that _seriously_ cut down on the time that she and Taka could spend doing, well, _couple things._

But.

They could be forgiven.

Because Taka was coming home!!

With that thought running deliriously back and forth across her mind, Miaka hung up the phone and all but skipped from the kitchen to her bedroom where she began digging through her closet, feeling particularly picky about what she wanted to wear today. She practically danced over to the closet as she thought about Taka's coming visit. He hadn't been able to come back to Tokyo and visit her for a quite a while. Come to think of it… The last time he had visited hadn't really been all that great in terms of excitement and fun…

True, Taka and she had gotten along just as well as ever (with the occasional lover's spat every now and then) but they hadn't really done anything except hang out at home with her mother and Keisuke talking about how school was going and how this new job of his would lead to big bucks and a better life for them once Miaka and he got out of school and started living together. Hmph. Had he even bothered to _ask_ her about that? Maybe she wasn't ready to start living with him yet. He was a sweetie and she loved him, but the man had some annoying traits – sometimes he treated her more like a little sister than a girlfriend! 

She yanked the large t-shirt she had used to sleep in over her head and chucked it behind her. Riffling past at least five perfectly good shirts, Miaka grabbed her favorite red t-shirt emblazoned with a Chinese design on it and tugged it on over her head. And how much lovey-dovey contact had they had on his last visit? Not much. They hadn't gone out anywhere away from the prying eyes of her family. They had sat on the couch and watched movies – with her family. Ate dinner – with her family. 

Miaka frowned, come to think of it… Her family seemed to have stolen her boyfriend. Keisuke and Taka were great buddies, and even her mother said he was like a second son to her. Not only _that_, it seemed like Taka was becoming more of a brother figure to her; When they had picked him up from the airport that time, Taka had given her a kiss – on the forehead. Miaka hadn't thought much of it at first, but the next day or so she had spent with Taka had been filled with opportunities for Taka to do the boyfriend thing, and he had taken only one of them; Kissing her quite passionately when they had all gone out to shop and then eat at a restaurant. He had waited until they were returning to the apartment and Keisuke and her mother had gotten ahead of them and were already inside before making her remember that he was her boyfriend and not just another brother.

Miaka fumed. But other than _that_, Taka had shown as much incentive to get his hands on her as _Keisuke_!

Shaking that disturbing mental image from her head, Miaka yanked on a pair of jeans and jammed her feet into her sneakers as she made a solemn vow.

This weekend Taka was _hers_, and her family was just going to have to deal with that.

A look at the clock told Miaka she was going to have to haul ass if she didn't want to be late to class again. She shuddered slightly at the memory. Her professor had locked her out!! Not wishing a repeat of that experience, Miaka grabbed her school bag (the damn thing weighed at least thirty pounds) and flew out the door and three flights of stairs only to trip down the last one.

Leaping up, completely unfazed by her show of clumsiness, Miaka ran out to her car and tossed her bag and purse into the passenger seat before settleing herself on the drivers side. Shaking her auburn hair out, which she had left down, Miaka turned the key and waited for the meodious purr of the engine to start and the radio to begin blasting out the tunes to Mamboleo or Bon Jovi. (Yes. Miaka liked Spanish and American music… She had proven to have very eclectic tastes in music)

And waited.

And waited some more.

Frowning, not quite wanting to believe that this could happen to her, Miaka patiently turned the key again and closed her eyes in a quick prayer.

Nothing.

Well _that hadn't worked…_

Not very happy with how her day was turning out, Miaka grabbed up her purse and bag, slammed the door to the car – wishing she was Nuriko for a moment so she could destroy it too – and stalked out to the sidewalk to hail a cab. She knew that her mechanical skills were less than adequate and that calling the mechanic would take forever.

As an empty taxi went by, Miaka waved her arm frantically only to watch as it rolled right on by. Miaka crossed her arms huffily. That was okay… that cab was probably on call or just getting off duty or something… She'd get the next one.

A second cab went by just like the first one. Miaka chased after it for about ten feet and gave up. That meant she needed to stop working at the Clinic. She was starting to act like a dog…

Now she was irritated. What was she? Invisible? Or were all the taxi drivers collaborating in some sort of cruel game of "Make Miaka late to class?" Miaka stamped her foot. She was _really_ in for it if she was late again.

It was when the third taxi went by without so much as slowing down that Miaka, almost without thinking, whipped out her cell phone and a small piece of paper. She dialed the number and then waited, tapping her foot angrily and glaring at any cars that went by; cursing the fact that they worked when her car didn't. 

This was the last straw. She had _had_ it.

She wasn't going to be kept down by society!

She was her own person!

She _would get to class!_

…

She was calling Andy to beg for a ride.

Miaka let out a huge sigh of relief as she exited the building after class. Thanks to Andy she had been on time… barely. She had barged into her class all of five seconds before the teacher closed the door and bolted it.

Andy had been happy to give her a ride that morning, As it turned out, he was only two blocks away when she had called him. He was going to meet his manager and had happened to be going Miaka's way. Not that he wouldn't have helped her if it _had_ been out of his way; he was just too nice a person for that.

Pulling a folder out of her shoulder bag, Miaka grinned from ear to ear. They had gotten their reports back today, and Miaka was happy to see that, though she hadn't aced it, she had gotten a very good grade. She couldn't wait to get to work and let some of her co-workers know how she'd done.

Miaka worked at an animal clinic, but the place was also a boarding kennel, they sold puppies too. She had started about a year or so ago and had quickly made friends with the people that worked there. She had become fast friends with several girls that worked in various sections of the clinic. Aside from Yui, they were some of her closest friends now – being as she saw them every day.

Still feeling giddy, Miaka hopped up on the metal banister of the cement stairs leading from the doors of the college and slid down it, hopping off gracefully as she reached the end. She turned around to look at the banister smugly; it had taken her forever to master that. And she still fell off occasionally.

Feeling satisfied that she wasn't always a total clutz, Miaka turned to attempt to hail a cab to take her to work and promptly tripped over a miniscule crack in the sidewalk. She luckily had had enough practice at falling to be able to catch herself. Her purse and bag on the other hand, were not so lucky. As they hit the ground, the contents of both scattered all over the sidewalk and into the street. Miaka watched numbly as her cell phone was run over by a speeding Mitsubishi.

"Sometimes I hate my life…" she grumbled to herself as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees to a kneeling position where she could collect everything that wasn't street-pizza and stuff it back where it belonged.

As she contemplated how her day was seeming to rotate back and forth from being very very good to extremely bad, Miaka heard what had to be a motorcycle turn a corner, screeching it's tires, and come roaring up the street in her general direction. _Great.__ That's all I need. Some idiot punk to get himself killed by falling off his motorcycle…I shall be scarred for life.  She shouldered her bag and purse and straightened, noticing that whoever was riding the bike had pulled up to the curb about twenty feet down the street…_

…and was beckoning her over?

She didn't know anyone who rode a motorcycle, did she?

She stayed put and merely watched the rider as he sat astride his machine. She could see from here that whoever it was had a great body. Long legs, which were clad in black jeans and expensive looking boots, were stretched out on both sides of the red and chrome motorcycle so that it wouldn't fall over. The man's shoulders weren't huge and muscular like most bikers Miaka had seen, but they weren't scrawny either. In fact… if Miaka weren't trying to school her response to what she thought about this guy, she would have said they were _very well-built… She especially liked the way his chest tapered to a something like a V when it reached his waist and hips…._

**_Gah_****_! Okay Miaka! Stop it! _**

_I like that jacket… Fits him very nicely…_

**_Quit looking! Bad!! Bad girl!_**

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Miaka frowned at the man on the bike. He was still waving at her to come over. Against her better judgment, Miaka started towards the biker. The thought that maybe it was Keisuke or Tetsuya crossed her mind, but she doubted Yui would let Tetsuya ride a motorcycle, and the same went for her mother and Keisuke. Of all the people she could possibly think of that would ride a motorcycle, reincarnated Seishi's included, the only one that was coming to mind was Tasuki… or maybe Suboshi.

Suboshi or Tasuki on a motorcycle.

Maybe it would just be wiser to never leave her apartment again.

Well. It was either them, or Keisuke and/or Tetsuya were in _big trouble…_

As she got closer, she could faintly see an obscured face (grinning foolishly, might I add) behind the tinted visor, and when she was within ten feet, the rider reached up and lifted the helmet, tucking it under his arm and smiling at her as though he were as innocent as an Angel as he shook out his long hair which had been hidden in the confines of the helmet.

Miaka was really starting to _hate_ being wrong. 

It made her feel less intelligent than she already knew she _wasn't_.

"Andy?"

Still smiling, Andy shrugged lopsidedly (the helmet got in his way) and gestured to the street with his free arm, "I thought you might need a ride to work since your car died such an untimely death."

Miaka eyed the motorcycle warily, "On _that_?"

"Of course."

"Are you even supposed to be riding that? Aren't they dangerous?"

Andy grinned somewhat sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "Actually, no. I'm _not supposed to be riding this. And no, motorcycles are only dangerous if you don't know what you're doing." He handed her a spare helmet with a slightly mean twinkle in his eye, "Here. You can wear the goofy helmet."_

Miaka took the helmet and turned it over in her hands. It resembled the bicycle helmet she had worn when she was six. "I don't know…Someone might see me." She held up the offending helmet, letting it dangle from her index finger, "This isn't exactly flattering you know."

He laughed heartily, "My dear, you sound like _me_. Just wear the thing and hop on!" he twisted his own long hair up and at the funny look she gave him, blushed a little, explaining, "Keeps it from getting tangled in the wind…"

Miaka buckled the helmet onto her own head and laughed, "Narcissist."

Andy grinned at the teasing title, knowing that it _was_ somewhat true and waited patiently for Miaka to seat herself behind him. Miaka climbed on and rested her hands lightly against Andy's shoulders. Not sure if he could her hear very well through his helmet or not, Miaka leaned forward until her chin nearly rested on his shoulder, "Uh… Where do you want me to hang on? I've never ridden a motorcycle before, much less with anybody so-" 

Miaka was cut off by Andy reaching up and taking hold of both her hands, gently but firmly wrapping them around his waist, "Like this." He had turned his head as he spoke to her and Miaka felt heat rush to her face when she felt his breath brush against her face. Memories of the day before rushed to her mind and Miaka found herself unable to stop the next thought from entering her mind. _It would be so easy to kiss him now…_

**_But you can't. So don't._ The harsh voice was back, and Miaka found herself settling back, still with her arms wrapped firmly around Andy's waist, but now with her face pressed against his back. Far enough away from temptation that she might be able to get all the way to the Clinic without making herself _and Andy sorry._**

As Andy pulled out into the street, Miaka closed her eyes and held on tightly so as not to fall off, but still trying to put some kind of distance between herself and the gorgeous superstar that she was practically wrapped around. _Well. That's a little hard to do. Considering you're on a motorcycle!_

Andy could tell that she wasn't entirely comfortable riding so close to him and mentally smacked himself for not having brought a car. Moron…_You go joyriding, which you're forbidden to do anyway, and then you decide to go pick up the girl you like without considering the fact that she might not be comfortable being so close to you after yesterday. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid_!!!__

And it was thus, that what should have been an enjoyable ride got turned into a pity party for both Miaka and Andy.

Miaka flew into the Clinic after bidding Andy a quick farewell. Waving hello to Kieru who was presently manning (womaning?) the front desk and tossing her purse into the cabinet along with everyone else's, Miaka riffled through the time cards and slid hers through the time clock just as the numbers hit 1:30.

"Phew! I made it!"

"Someday your little race against the time clock is going to get you into trouble." The voice held a note of forewarning.

Miaka was nonplussed, "Whaddya mean?" she regarded her dark-haired and bouncy friend.

Hayai frowned, "I mean, someday you're going to end up getting hurt if you don't slow down."

Miaka was unimpressed, "This from the girl whose nickname _happens to be "The Dash," and turned to go check on whether Jensen wanted her to work with him and Kara or if he would rather she work in the kennel or the puppy room. In addition to being a Clinic for animals, they also sold puppies and boarded dogs for people going on vacation._

"You _know what I mean!"_

"Yes, I do. Don't _worry so much." Earlier that year another co-worker of theirs had been in a hurry and had run into a tree. She had totaled her car, but had managed to walk away without a scratch._

"I can't help it. It's what I do. I worry!" Hayai hugged Miaka briefly around the neck before returning to whatever she had been doing prior to taking a moment to reprimand her friend.

Miaka was surprised when she was sent, not to the kennel or the puppy room, but the groom room to help Anwe with the bath dogs. She rounded the corner and stopped at the grooming table where a rather _large stack of cards was laying on a clip board. Eyeing the cards warily, Miaka spotted Anwe shoving the latest bath dog into a crate. When the diminutive blonde spotted her friend, she pointed to the stack, "Can you _please_ do the next few dogs so I can have a lunch break? I've been __swamped all morning! Twelve labs! __Twelve!"_

It was a well known fact that after having worked in the groom room for a while, labs always ended up being your _least_ favorite dog. Miaka made a face that she _hoped_ looked sympathetic before running off to retrieve her first victim.

And because life is evil – of course it was a lab.

After being pulled down the hall (and _into_ Roberto and Arashi), wrestling the unwilling and _supremely overfriendly animal into the tub, Miaka soaked and soaped up the dog, scrubbing while trying to keep it at arms length from her body – to no avail. The lab strained at the leash which held it still and leaned up against the brunette as close at the restraint would allow, even going so far as to rest it's head on her shoulder and paw her arms. Needless to say, Miaka had been at work for five minutes, and was already soaked. She hated, hated, _hated_ Mondays…_

It wasn't until she was up to her arms in suds that she faintly registered the front door opening, letting Rae and Kieru handle it like they always did, Miaka reached for the sprayer in order to rinse off the dog and turned on the water.

That's when she saw the tell-tale twitching of the head and shoulders.

"Hey Miaka –"

Water flew.

She ducked.

Andy didn't.

When she felt it was safe enough to get up, Miaka found suds splattered all over the walls and the fronts of the crates with already dried dogs in them. And of course nothing was wetter or soapier than one very un-amused rock star.

Wiping the bubbles from his face, Andy pursed his lips as he perused his rather wet appearance. Taking a lock of his hair delicately between his index and forefingers he wrinkled his nose, looking positively disgusted. "Yuck."

Miaka simply stood spraying the lab as she stared in shock. Then, inevitably, her shoulders shook slightly and her free hand came up to cover her mouth as she attempted not to laugh in the face of her friend.

Andy blinked; his expression devoid of any humor whatsoever. He flicked the piece of hair over his shoulder irrately, "I suppose you think this is _funny." He nodded slightly as he spoke as though he were agreeing, though that made him look more sarcastic than anything else._

Trying very hard to look serious, Miaka shook her head, only to immediately fall into a fit of chuckles. Hotohori. Covered. In. Bubbles. = Too Funny.

After a few seconds she calmed down enough to hold Andy's golden eyes steadily with her own green ones. As she opened her mouth to apologize, the golden eyes widened slightly. Before Miaka had a chance to ask what was wrong, Andy had backpedaled towards the door and she was immediately splattered with the _second wave of water and soap bubbles._

_What goes around comes around I guess…_

Turning a death glare on the hapless dog, Miaka shook her head and shoved her now plastered bangs back and out of the way. _First things first._ Deal with the animal and _then_ talk to the cute boy._ "I'm sorry Andy. Hang on. I'll be done in a few minutes. She quickly finished bathing the dog and with an astounding show of strength for her small build lifted the dog from the bath tub and shoved it into an open crate before turning to Andy once more._

Miaka wondered exactly _why_ Andy wasn't a mile away by now, "So… Forget something?"

Andy smiled, still managing to look great even with soap suds in his hair and soaked jeans and jacket. If Miaka would only pay attention to the small ignored screaming thing in her brain, she would have likely thought something inappropriate. "Actually, yeah. I meant to ask you this earlier, but it slipped my mind. There's going to be a publicity event that my manger is planning for this Friday. Several other music artists are going to be there, and we're supposed to bring dates." He looked down and nervously tapped his foot. Miaka wanted to cap herself when she realized that she found his slight shyness quite endearing. "And I was wondering if you'd like to be mine…just as friends of course." He smiled hopefully at her and Miaka's heart twisted painfully in her chest. She was about to say that yes, of _course_ she'd go with him, when memories of that morning rushed up to quickly veto the entire idea.

Biting her lip apologetically, Miaka scratched behind her ear, "Andy I'm sorry. I can't."

Letting out a breath in defeat, Andy nodded slightly. "I understand."

Feeling as low as dirt, Miaka reached out and took his hand, "It's not that I wouldn't. I _want to go with you. Really, I do. I'd love to go, it's just that… My boyfriend is coming back on Friday just to see me and well… yeah." She finished weakly, not meeting his eyes._

Andy felt his spirits lift a few inches off the ground. "No it's okay. I get it." Knowing that at least she _would_ have gone with him were she not previously engaged was somewhat comforting. Once again he found himself mentally cursing the lucky ungrateful bastard who had managed to capture Miaka's heart. _I think I'm really beginning to dislike this guy…and I don't even know him!_

Andy was offered some spare clothes that Roberto had in his car before taking his leave after reminding Miaka that he would be there at eight to pick her up and take her home. As soon as he was out the door she was pounced by Rae, Kieru, Hayai, and Anwe. (Arashi _would have pounced, but she was conveniently in the back)_

"Who _was that?" Rae already had an arm around Miaka's neck and was mock strangling her in order to pry out the information. Miaka tried not to sneeze as the girls long brown hair got in her face._

"Where'd you meet him?" Hayai saved her from Rae's grasp only to yank on Miaka's ponytail.

"Why didn't I know about this?" Anwe poked Miaka in the side, frowning.

Miaka answered the questions as best she could and then waited for the inevitable bomb to drop.

"What happened to Taka? Aren't you going out with _him_?" Kieru of course. Ever practical.

Hayai immediately came to Miaka's defense, "Well _I like him. I think he's much sweeter than Taka _ever_ was."_

"How would _you know-" started Kieru._

"Maybe she got tired of being treated like crud." Suggested Rae.

"Hey!" Miaka jumped to her boyfriends defense.

"Maybe we should let _Miaka_ say something?" Anwe interjected.

"Taka and I are still together. Andy and I are just friends." Miaka said bluntly. It was plain to see from the other girls faces that they really didn't believe her.

Just then the bell alerting them to the front door went off and a girl who could have been Miaka's twin sister walked in.

"Who was that guy wearing Roberto's clothes?" she asked. "He's _cute." Miaka felt something inside her tense up at Yumiko's declaration and quickly squashed it. She wasn't jealous that Yumiko thought Andy was cute. She _wasn't_._

"Hey Yumi," Anwe waved, "We were just discussing that."

"He's Miaka's new boyfriend." Piped up Rae and Hayai.

"That so?" Yumiko raised an eyebrow, "'Bout time. I never did like Taka…"

Miaka had given up on convincing the girls that Taka really wasn't all that bad… (though the scumbag _had_ once mistaken Yumiko for Miaka…) and was going to go finish the bath dogs when the phone rang. Seeing as everyone else was still arguing about Taka Vs. Andy (At least Kieru was on her side!!) Miaka picked it up hoping to Suzaku that whoever was calling just wanted to know something simple, like what time they closed. "This is Miaka, how can I help you?"

"Miaka!" the voice over the phone was strained, as though preparing to apologize profusely, but like the speaker was also in a hurry.

"Taka?" At the name the other girls fell silent, moving closer and obviously listening to her side of the conversation.

"Miaka, I am so sorry about this…" her heart sank. She knew what that meant.

"You can't make it can you?" she said sadly, though she tried to sound as though she understood. It wouldn't do to make Taka sad that he had made her feel bad.

A sigh, "No. I've been given a chance to get an internship at one of the largest corporations in the country, and the only time they have available in the next few months is this weekend. I _have_ to be here." She could practically see Taka making soothing motions with his hands to midair on his end as she knew he was prone to do.

Ever forgiving – though she swore to herself that this would be the last time, (just like the time before, and the time before that…) Miaka made a waving motion with her free hand and leaned against the doorjamb. "It's alright Taka. I understand. You go and get that internship. I'll just… hang out with some friends." She shrugged, "Maybe I'll ask for some more hours here." She could see Anwe and Yumiko's jaws drop at this. It was Hayai, however, who sidled over and laid a hand across Miaka's forehead.

"No fever…" she muttered.

Miaka slapped the hand away and quickly said goodbye to Taka before waiting to hear the click signaling that he had hung up, once she did, Miaka slammed the receiver down with such force that everyone jumped.

Eyeing everyone in the room with something that could be called malicious glee glinting in her eye, Miaka growled to herself as she stalked back to the groom room. _Looks like I'll be able to go to that party with you after all Andy._

She wasn't sure if it was anger that had made her decide that she would go with Andy, and that she was just trying to get some kind of revenge on Taka. Or, had she really wanted to go all along and had only declined because of her earlier promise to Taka? She had a feeling it was a little of both. She did want to spend more time with Andy. And she _did_ want to get Taka back for just dropping their date like he had. But she wasn't the kind of person who would use someone solely as a means of taking revenge, but that didn't mean she hadn't thought about it. Besides… She wouldn't have decided to spend an entire evening in Andy's presence if she didn't really like him. 

It was now that her faith in Taka's promises had been chipped away at for the past year or so that Miaka allowed herself to ponder the question: Did she like Andy? Of course. As more than a friend? She didn't know.

Curse matters of the heart. She grumbled to herself. Sure, she was mad at Taka, but was she going to completely throw everything she and he had over a few broken promises? She wanted to think "No. Of course not." But at the moment, she wasn't exactly sure.

She had called Andy almost immediately after hanging up with Taka, to inform him that because of a last minute change of plans, Yes, she could go. Of course he had been delighted. Miaka thought he may have run a red light in his elation, (as she heard cursing and much honking) and she smiled at the fact that she could make someone who was usually so calm and level-headed toss the rulebook out the window. Then a thought hit her. _That moron._ Was he talking to me on his cell _while_ riding that motorcycle?!__

Alright. When she got hold of him, Andy was getting a major beating.

_Oh Suzaku, please let him have been stopped at a red light or something…_

As the clock neared eight o'clock, Miaka started getting ready to leave, cleaning up what she could of the impossible to keep clean groom room. Rae, Roberto, and Anwe and the rest of the crew had left earlier, leaving Miaka, Yumiko, Hayai, and Kieru by themselves in the office. 

The bell rang, once again signaling that someone had entered. Miaka was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Andy (who had long since changed into some clean jeans and a t-shirt). When his eyes lit upon seeing her, Miaka felt almost as if she wanted to run back into the groom room and hide. What the hell was that thing fluttering madly inside her chest? _No. Absolutely not. I can't…I won't allow it._

Miaka heard a smothered laughing noise and discretely stomped on Yumiko's foot. "Shut _up." She muttered. Yumiko nodded and attempted, though unsuccessfully, not to show that she was deliriously happy that this was someone other than Taka._

"Hey Andy." She smiled at him over the counter.

The grin he threw back at her was on the border between friendly and flirtatious. Miaka decidedly tried to ignore it. "Have a good day at work?" he laughed when she gave him an evil look. She had gotten wet every other time she bathed a dog that day, and was at present, still trying to air herself out. He held out his hands in a defensive gesture, "Alright, alright… don't kill me."

Miaka had clocked out and had just allowed Andy to take her hand when the bell rang once more. A dark haired woman with clothes that accentuated her every curve waltzed into the Clinic. Miaka's eyes immediately went to the dog in her arms. 

_Ick__.__ A poodle._

The curly haired Satan in disguise yipped loudly and leaped straight out of the woman's arms faster than Miaka could blink. Without thinking, Miaka lunged forward, hoping to save the fool creature before it killed itself.

As luck would have it, she caught the animal a bare inch about the linoleum floor and was rewarded with teeth eating into her wrist. Bleeding a bit from where the dog had managed to slash her, she set the dog down and watched un-amused as the dog ran over to Andy and leaped up and down like a spring, it's tiny six or seven pound body managing an insanely high jump to at least Andy's waist.

Eventually the dog gave up trying to reach the man's hair and settled for his pants leg. Andy appeared to not notice as he focused on the woman who had just walked in. "Hello, Shiko."

Miaka cocked her head. "You know her?"

Andy nodded, still ignoring the rat that though it was Godzilla, "She's one of my back up singers." He smiled, wrapping an arm around Miaka's shoulders. Miaka couldn't help but feel a little smug as the woman's eyes darkened with jealousy. "This is Miaka. She's going with me to the function that Mr. Kimoto has planned for this Friday."

The dark look hardened, though Andy appeared oblivious, "But And~y. It's my turn to go." She pouted prettily, her overly made-up face looking like that of a sad china dolls. Miaka wanted nothing more than to smash her into the floor a few (hundred) times and break her. She obviously wanted Andy, and it took Miaka a moment to realize that she was jealous of the fact that Andy was oblivious to this fact and blindly encouraging it.

Kieru 'ahemed,' getting the attention of all three. "Can I help you miss?"

Shiko tossed her dark hair and snatched up the poodle, handing it to Miaka. "Yes. I would like my dog bathed, nails trimmed and oh, if it's not too much trouble could you fix her hair for me?" she smiled sugar-sweetly but Miaka could see the mean glint in her eye and the glee when tiny molars chomped into Miaka's hand once again.

Trying to be polite in front of someone Andy obviously knew fairly well, Miaka gritted her teeth and smiled, "Sure thing miss. I'll get her for you."

Andy looked about to protest that they were leaving when the other girls came to her rescue.

"You'll pay here." Ground out Kieru. Her cheeks puffed out to show her displeasure at Shoko's behavior.

_Thank you… I owe you guys._

Hayai took the poodle from Miaka, cuddling it as though it were a child, "Ohhhh. Aren't you sweet? You look just like Tara- OUCH!" she yelped and flipped the poodle around so it was under one arm. "It _bit_ me!" not quite so enamored with the animal as before, she handed it to Yumiko, "You're the bather when Miaka and Anwe aren't here. Have fun."

Yumiko grimaced as she took the animal, "But…oh fine." She gave Miaka a 'you'd better appreciate this' look before tasking the animal in back. Miaka wasn't sure, but she heard a hiss of what might have been Yumi getting chomped, only to hear the water turn on and the dog's piercing yowls suddenly fill the air.

At Andy's raised eyebrow Miaka took his elbow and steered him towards the door, whispering "Yumi hates poodles as much as she hates my boyfriend." She giggled at the brief thought of Taka as a dog and Yumiko having to groom him. _Poor dog._

As they exited the building they could still hear the pitiful whines of the terrified animal, no doubt being treated with as little respect as it had shown everyone else. Andy took Miaka's hand and pulled her towards the motorcycle as he allowed himself to smirk. The poor dog sounded like it was being murdered. _If the girl dislikes Miaka's boyfriend that__ much… He grinned__. I think I like that girl…_

The ride back to Miaka's apartment was silent. First of all, you can't really converse while on a motorcycle, and second, you don't always need conversation to communicate. As Miaka clung to Andy's waist, she imagined what would happen to her if she happened to fall of. Erasing that image from her mind, she rested her face against his shoulder blades, trying not to pay attention to the fact that the only thing that separated her from his skin was the flimsy white t-shirt he had changed into. Watching the darkening sky, Miaka contemplated a few things to herself.

She loved Taka. But Taka was always too busy for her, it seemed. She knew he said he was doing it for their future, but… well. Sometimes Miaka just wanted Taka to herself. That wasn't horribly selfish was it? To want to one she loved all to herself every once in a while?

Taka made her feel like it was.

_"Don't be so selfish. Other people need me besides you."_

And so she had relented: Time after time; allowing him to run off to work or school for every little thing while she stayed at home and grew lonelier and on rare occasions, even bitter. Frankly, Miaka was getting sick of it.

Maybe she and Taka should cool it for a while? Both focus on their own goals first and foremost and not complicate each others.

Well that wouldn't be too hard. It's not like he was ever around anyway.

Resigned to her decision, Miaka felt her stiff spine relax. It was though a thousand pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she was finally able to rest a little. She hadn't known Taka was taking so much out of her with all of her worrying over their relationship. Tired of trying to keep a distance between herself and the man she happened to be clinging to the waist of, Miaka let herself lean into him. Her front pressed entirely against his back and her arms wrapped securely around his waist, her hands resting gently upon his stomach.

Andy started at her sudden change in posture. It was like a wall had come crashing down. Something had changed. What, he wasn't sure, but he was hoping that it would be for the better – in his favor of course. He glanced back at her once and though he couldn't see her, he could certainly feel her. She was pressed against him in such a way that he could clearly feel her heart beating against his back and her thighs rested against his hips now in a way that told him more than words how much more comfortable she was.

As her apartment complex came into view, Andy contemplated just driving on past it and keep going until they reached… he didn't know where. But one thing was for sure, he was entirely too fond of having Miaka so close to him to want to give it up so soon. What he _really_ wanted to do was spirit her off to some secluded place and turning the charm up to Maximum until she realized that _he_ was the one she was in love with. Yes. _That_ was the plan. He would _make_ her see the truth. And then they would spend a lot of time in the bedroom making up for lost time. (little did he know just how _much lost time that really was…actually maybe it's better he _didn't_. O.o)_

Damn his parents for raising him to be a gentleman.

He pulled up to the curb and lifted his visor turning his head to make certain that Miaka was able to get down alright. Once she had both feet firmly on the ground again Miaka turned to face him and handed him the ridiculous looking helmet she had been forced to wear. "Thank you for driving me everywhere today Andy. You have no idea how grateful I am."

Andy blushed slightly, setting the helmet on the back seat of the bike, "You're welcome." He took his helmet off and shook out his hair. Miaka noted with some humor that he looked like he was trying out for some shampoo commercial when he did that.

Miaka cocked her head and adjusted her purse and bag, "If there's anything I can do to repay you…"

A sly looking smile crossed his face, one that really looked more reminiscent of a bandit or a pirate than an emperor, "Well… You _can_ do something for me right now."

Miaka paled slightly. _God_ that expression really made him look sexy, but she didn't know if she'd like what he was thinking…"What?" she asked boldly.

He held out both arms to her like a toddler would to it's mother, "Hug." He said simply.

Laughing at the adorable simplicity, Miaka complied, allowing Andy to sweep her up into a big hug. His chin rested lightly on her shoulder and he ran a hand up and down her back a couple of times before she pulled away. As she pulled back, Andy leaned forward an before Miaka knew what was happening, it was over. Andy had placed a soft chaste kiss upon her left cheek, right above her jaw line, and closer to her ear than her mouth.

Stunned into silence, Miaka sputtered for a moment, trying to find the words to… to reprimand him, yell at him… or something. "You… You agreed we were just friends." She finally managed, accusingly jabbing her index finger at him.

Andy shrugged and then grinned cheekily, "Friends kiss all the time in France."

_Smart ass… she thought, but she couldn't help grinning right back at him. "Alright smart guy. Get out of here before I beat you." She mock-threatened him to cover up her embarrassment._

A sudden deliberate cough from behind her made Miaka glance over her shoulder, mid-laugh, still grinning like an idiot.

Suddenly, all laughter drained from her face. Her suddenly sober attitude seemed to suck the life from the very air itself.

She gave a small, timid wave. "Uhhh…Hey… Taka."

**Yumiko: Tsa! Gomen minna-san! I know I was kinda hard on the labs and the poodles. If you happen to own one of those breeds I extend my apologies to you. *whimper* But I needed a breed or two to pick on… (Yumi's not an animal abuser BTW. The dog just didn't like water and she was handling it a little rougher than necessary. That's all)**

**Readers: Err… Yeah. Psycho.**

**Yumi****: But trust me. Labs and poodles do become your least favorite breeds after having worked with dogs for awhile. Believe me. I know. I work at a kennel. **

Readers: Really. We couldn't tell.

**Yumi: *knows she should be smacked for making Miaka do her job for her* Don't gimme your sarcasm… Really. Daydreaming while working there is quite entertaining. Especially when you have such lovely characters to mentally torture. It's even funnier when said character is unusually predisposed to being clean all the time. **

**Hotohori****: *tapping foot* Alright, alright. Now that you've had your fun… When do I get to pummel Tamahome and get the girl??!**

**Yumiko: *dot dot dot* Uhm. Sorry Hoto-chan, but, uh. How do I say this? You don't get to _pummel_ Tamahome. But you _will_ eventually get the girl. I promise. I just have to work up to it.**

**Hotohori****: Work faster!**

**Yumiko: *shakes finger* Don't make me let Allen and Zechs lose on you. *nodnod* Yes. I know the Ouija board said Allen was here to protect me from Miroku, but I'm sure the gesture extends to any other muses I happen to have… Wait a minute. Allen! You aren't doing your job! Some of Andy's thoughts in this chapter can be interpreted… well yeah.**

**Miroku****: Please don't involve me in this…**

**Hotohori****: *Rant. Rage. Fume.* What happened to you getting out a chapter every few days or so?**

**Yumiko: My inspiration demon seems to have died. *hands lifeless looking faery/demon/thing to Hotohori* See if you can fix it.**

**Hotohori****: Who do you think I am? Hagrid? *grumbles and jabs the lifeless creature* Come on… Move…**

**Inspiration demon: …**

***

Review please! I know this took a while to get out and I hope no ones given up on me yet!! 

BTW: If anyone wants to email me to chat or whatever, email me at miaka86@msn.com. The addy on my profile has been screwed up so I can't get into it anymore. So I can't change it. I may have to make a new pen name and use a different email even. Grrr… stupid Gateway…. All their fault.


	6. Cornerstones

AN: Well. Glad to see people think I'm doing so well! As for the whole motorcycle thing in the last chapter…I _admit_ I was pushing it with the characterization, but you have to admit that Hoto-chan on a motorcycle _IS_ a rather appealing thought!!! ^____^

I would like to thank _every single one_ of you for reviewing, I know missed some people, but these were the reviewers that are either constant, or stood out in some other way. Apologies to anyone I left out! Gomen…

**HoshiHikari4ever: Tsa! You like me. You really like me! Thanks for reading!**

**Amyfushigiyugi****: Yes I do agree. Andy and Miaka deserve this! Thank you for your support!**

**Athena: *grins* Glad ya liked the cameos. And yes. Taka happens to be a big monkey wrench waiting to jamb up my story. He's the reason this dang chapter took so long. I can't write him! He's…Taka. And I don't like writing about him. He irks me. Hoto-chan on the other hand…**

**Yuriko Tsukino: I apologize for the suspense. School started. I have research methods. *hiss* Evil class…**

**Niccote**: Don't worry. It shall continue. *nodnod* Yesyes.

**Nel**: I like you. You give great feedback on parts on my fic you liked and didn't like! Hmm. You knew my cliffy was coming? I'll have to come up with some better plot twists! You aren't supposed to figure it out! (Kidding! I know I'm transparent!)

**Kimi-chan3: Typing with knees bended? Wow. My fic warrants groveling! I think I'm gonna cry!!**

**The D.o.D: lol. You seem to be one of my more enthusiastic readers. You sound like me. I talk to my comp. too when I read. And yes, I very much support H/M. Taka can go jump off a cliff… a small one. Cuz he doesn't deserve death… he just needs to get out of Hoto-chan's way.**

**Unmei**** Himei: *beams* Glad you like my story!**

**The Shadow Hawk: Thankies for the support!! And continue I shall!**

**Sana**** ChiChi: I think you could rival even Hayai-chan in how badly you despise Taka… And how much you support Miaka and Hoto-chan! I'm so pround! I thought I was alone in my love for this couple, but all you reviewers are proving me wrong!**

****

**_Special Thanks to:_**

**KittyLynn**** and**** Quickening: Two of my favorite authors have deigned to read _MY story? Now that really makes a person feel loved!! Seriously, I jumped up and ran around the room and even told my __mom how cool it was to have you two review… *sniff* I so happy…_**

**Methodic Madness and Sara: *grin* Now people like you really make me happy. Thank you so much for giving my fic a chance! Though *sniff* I wonder why you don't normally like H/M? *looks teary eyed* But they're so sweet together… *evil grin* I may not have completely converted you two to being H/M fans just _yet, but I'm going to try my hardest! Hayai used to be a Taka/Miaka fan, and look at her now – she's worse than me!!_**

**Rowan Obscura: And what made you think my fic wouldn't be good? Is it the summary? Whatever it was, tell me! In any case, I'm happy you decided to give it a chance and _liked_ it!!**

**And I think all reviewers owe a thanks to:**

**Members of the Black Hole of Millard West:**

**Hayai****, Arcane Legacy, Phoenixfire, Hotoko, and Animaechina**

Those who see me everyday and poke and prod me to finish this fic. 

_Shit._

That was the first word that Miaka's mind came up with.

Inwardly she cringed as Taka descended the stairs of her apartment that he had been sitting on, obviously waiting for her to come home. He was walking slowly, his hand on the rail as though he had drunken himself into a stupor or something to that effect. He was probably going to instantly assume the worst of her. Accuse her of cheating on him or something. With that thought, Miaka felt a flash of anger, hot and roiling, leap into her throat ready to spit fire at him if he did anything of the sort. _He'd _better_ not… First of all, she had __not been cheating on him, (technically, so far it'd _all_ been Andy's fault!) and _second_… well. Second – he wasn't even supposed to _be_ here!!_

Taka had reached the foot of the stairs and Miaka braced herself for a barrage of verbal battery. Surprisingly though, Taka wasn't even looking at Miaka, his dazed eyes were instead trained upon Andy, who was still sitting contentedly astride his motorcycle and appearing completely oblivious to the entire situation.

Well. Maybe not _entirely_ oblivious.

Andy was not stupid. He had seen the alarm in Miaka's face the second she had laid eyes on the man on the stairs. Having been raised in a family of lawyers and politicians, Andy knew how to keep a straight face. He could gather from the way Miaka was acting that this guy was likely the boyfriend that she had turned him down for. Keeping his poker face on, Andy perused his competition with a somewhat haughty air. Boy didn't _look_ like much. 

Andy cocked his head and trained his gaze on Miaka, who was looking back and forth between himself and – Taka was it? –  looking almost as if she were a child about to witness an argument between her mother and father. Almost guilty. But what did she have to feel guilty for? To his knowledge, she was still wanting to just be friends…Unless…Maybe she was beginning to change her mind?

Wondering what Taka could possibly have to say to him, Andy waited patiently, meeting the shorter man's eyes easily, arms crossed lightly in front of him. 

Still quite shocked at seeing Hotohori, Taka muttered a quick "Your Highness," out of sheer habit, when Miaka kicked him in the shins and Andy's eyes widened in surprise (wondering what kind of nutcase would address him as royalty). Taka realized what he had just said and quickly laughed it off, "Er, hey, Miaka. Who's your new friend?" he eyed Andy up and down, trying to give the impression that he really didn't care but, since Miaka was friends with him, he was asking anyway.

Miaka, seeing that (for the moment) there wasn't going to be any bloodshed, immediately jumped in, "Taka, this is Andy Wong; he's a singer from China." She tugged on Taka's sleeve excitedly, "You should hear his music! He's so good!" she laughed when Andy and Taka both sent her somewhat sour looks. ("We don't care.") Then she looked at Andy, "Andy, this is Taka." She smiled, getting almost teary eyed at seeing her first two Seishi together once again. What she really wanted to do was yell "group hug!" and tackle them both, but considering the circumstances she didn't suppose that would be the best idea.

Both men nodded politely to each other in acknowledgement, though there seemed to be a thin layer of ice still present. Andy was the first to speak, laying a hand gently on Miaka's shoulder as he did so, keeping Taka in his peripheral vision, "So, Miaka, is this the boyfriend you've told me about?"

Miaka nodded happily and smiled, "Yes. Taka and I have been together since I was fifteen."

Andy seemed slightly surprised at the length of time they had remained together, but nonetheless did not allow his expression to change as he gazed at Miaka fondly. Taka saw the way he was looking at Miaka and glared for all he was worth, hoping all the while that Miaka would just shake the stupid jerk off so that he could bundle her up and lock her in a closet somewhere where she'd be safe. From what had happened in the book, Taka knew better than to assume that Andy wouldn't fall for Miaka again.

It was then that Taka realized that he was likely causing his own downfall here. He had been the one to slowly push Miaka away and quit paying attention to her over time. He had been the one to cancel their last three dates over something as stupid as school or work… _You moron. You and she risked your lives to be together in the book and _now_ you start sacrificing her and her love over something like money and power?_

Taka shook his head. Nah. That couldn't be it. Miaka was a kind understanding woman and she knew that everything he was doing he was doing solely for the sake of their future. He knew Miaka hated that he had to be gone all of the time, but it just couldn't be helped.

Despite the small talk, Andy and Taka faced off, glaring at each other over the top of Miaka's head. She took a second to curse the fact that she hadn't gotten any taller since she was fifteen and still remained at her diminutive height of five two. As she glanced at the men's faces, however, she became very grateful that she was not in either's direct line of sight. For the look each was giving the other could have melted stone. She could practically feel the air vibrating with the intensity of their dislike for one another.

_Well. So much for the reunion, She thought in annoyance, won't these two ever just…quit it? She had to admit that having two guys after your heart was a bit flattering, but it really began to take a toll on ones heart after a while. Her feelings for both Andy and Taka seemed as if it were a Siamese twin attached by the middle and trying to run in two different directions. She loved Taka, but since meeting Andy, the feelings that she had long since buried for Hotohori had seemed to bubble to the surface all at once in an attempt to overwhelm her. _

She mentally sighed. She had to admit that she had _originally_ had some feelings for Hotohori. She knew this because her evil mirror-self had expressed what would have been the negative, selfish reasons that Miaka herself would have had for liking Hotohori – which she would not have had if she hadn't harbored feelings for him at all in the first place. Her other theory was that by killing her reflection, she had also killed some of the feelings she might have had for Hotohori. Was it possible that maybe they hadn't died after all?

Coming back to reality, Miaka took in her surroundings. Andy's hand had slipped from her shoulder and had ended up clenched just inside his jacket sleeve. And Taka was making some sort of garbled noise in the back of his throat. Was he _growling?_

Andy didn't really know why, but since meeting Taka he really wanted nothing more than to deck the guy and carry Miaka off somewhere. Preferably to that secluded cabin he'd been musing about earlier. He eyed Miaka in his peripheral vision, hoping that she would have the sense to stay out of it if there did happen to be a fight. Andy just hoped that he wouldn't be the one to start it; though he very well might if Taka didn't stop giving him that _look_.

Miaka had tensed up when she saw their expressions. Memories of that night in Konan's courtyard came flooding back. She hadn't realized that two human beings could look so primal and animalistic. Hotohori had nearly killed Tamahome in order to protect her, and she hadn't even thanked him. Not that she'd have been glad if Tamahome had died, but she had thoughtlessly not even considered that Hotohori could have lost his own life in that battle. She could have at the very least given him some sort of gratitude for his devotion. 

As Miaka eyed both men, she couldn't help but relate the way they were facing off to the fights she had had to brake up at the Clinic every once in a while when a pair of owners didn't keep tabs on their animals. The two Dobermans had locked gazes, neither willing to back down and submit to the other. The hackles had come up and the growling had reverberated through their bodies until, each was a vibrating ball of energy.

This impasse was exactly the same; just a different species of animal.

She readied herself to jump in if one of them lunged, knowing from experience that she wouldn't come out unscathed.

Suddenly, Andy tore his gaze away from Taka's as he reached for his helmet. Sliding it on with practiced ease, Andy prepared to leave. He knew that if he stayed much longer, he would end up doing something he'd regret, and he didn't want that. Miaka would be mad at him.

With a toothpaste add smile he turned to Miaka and bid her farewell before locking gazes once again with Taka for a brief moment as he revved the engine and then peeled out from the curb and down the street.

Miaka watched him go, wondering why her heart suddenly felt like a million pound weight had just settled on top of it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Taka's voice.

"Huh?" Miaka, clueless as to what he meant, turned and gave Taka a befuddled expression.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd found Hotohori?

Miaka blushed, "I'm sorry Taka. I would have told you sooner or later. It's just…"

"Just what?" he growled, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Well. I just found him on Saturday night. Yui asked me to go to Saturday's Andy Wong concert with her and since we hadn't done anything for a while I agreed. The seats were way too far away from the stage to really see anything, " She shrugged, "And she had backstage passes too, so we got to go and actually have dinner with Andy. It was when we met him backstage that I realized just who he was." She laughed slightly in remembrance. "I tripped and nearly fell on my butt. He caught me."

Taka's face had seemed to contort strangely, "And you didn't have time to tell me about this because…?"

Miaka scowled, "Let me finish!" the two had a brief staring contest before Taka nodded slightly, Miaka smirked smugly before continuing, "First of all wise guy, I might have wanted to keep him to myself a little bit first. He did die in the book world you know! I think I'm entitled to a little bit of quality time with him before I have to be chaperoned everywhere I go with him just because you don't like him!"

Taka growled, "It's not that I don't like him. His majesty was and probably _is still a great person, but I don't trust him alone with you. Do you remember what else happened in the book besides Hotohori dying? The guy nearly lobbed by head off and then he __stabbed me!"_

Miaka leaped to her other Seishi's defense, "You were temporarily insane and trying to _kill me! He was just trying to __protect me!" she hissed at him, sounding as much like an angry tiger as Taka could imagine._

"He also kissed you and _proposed_!" he snarled, "Don't try to deny it! I heard it all!"

Miaka gave him a half-exasperated, half-"I'm trying not to kill you" look, "Yes. He did do those things. But what are you so worried about anyway?"

His confused look spurred Miaka on.

"You've never had to worry about me falling for some other guy before. Why is it such a big deal now? If your faith in our relationship really that weak?" the words weren't yelled, not spat, just said in such a deadly calm voice that Taka's blood ran cold.

"I'm not worried, it's just…" the sardonic expression she gave him changed his mind, "Oh alright. I am worried." He gripped her shoulders lightly, "Did you see how he was looking at you?" Taka's eyes were wide and somewhat wild looking as he said it.

Miaka shook her head, "No, not really."

"He still wants you. I can see that." Miaka's eyes widened at that. If only Taka knew the _rest of the story… "And I don't want you going anywhere with him without me from now on because I'm afraid he'll try something." His eyes had softened a bit as he gazed down at Miaka, "I don't want to lose you. You're not just my girlfriend, Miaka. You're the reason I exist."_

The words, try as she might to fight them, to avoid letting them work on her the way they always did, nevertheless tugged at Miaka's heart and she felt herself literally melt into Taka's arms. She felt tears prick at her eyes as she let him hold her. She sighed contentedly at the pleasant warmth that his body gave off. He was right. According to the book, she was the reason Taka even existed in either world. 

The reason any of her Seishi had existed.

Then something clicked into place and it was as though she were seeing everything through a crystal clear reality.

She was the reason that Andy was here as well.

Growling slightly in anger at how easily Taka had been able to push her buttons, Miaka shoved him away from her just hard enough to make him stumble. "Don't give me anymore of that lovey dovey 'we'll always be together' crap because this time it's _not going to help you get out of trouble." She jabbed her index finger at him, "You'd better find a different way of apologizing buddy because as far as I'm concerned you just dug your own grave!" she stomped up the stairs to the apartment entrance, stopping to yell at him once more, "The cornerstone of love is trust, Taka. If you can't trust me then we don't have anything." She scowled, "Consider yourself _single_ until you figure that out!"_

And with that, she slammed the door and stormed up to her family's apartment.

Miaka waited impatiently for Yui to finish walking up the steps to the apartment. Why did her family have to live in the very top floor? Why?

Finally, there came a knock at the door.

Miaka threw the door open and yanked Yui inside.

After fending off her best friends attack, Yui set down her purse and took off her jacket, setting them on the couch, "So what's up? Why did you have to have me come all the way down here instead of just talking to me on the phone?"

Miaka tried not to cry. She really did. But the pent up frustration from everything that had been happening chose that exact moment to explode.

"Yui-chan!"

Yui didn't even have tome to think about getting out of the way. Miaka had glomped onto her and was sobbing her heart out on Yui's shoulder. Trying her best not to knock the both of them over, Yui settled herself on the couch, Miaka following her and curling up next to her like a lost child.

In the next half an hour (with a few break for a bout of tears) Miaka managed to recount everything that had happened Andy and Taka-wise for the last two days.

Yui mused quietly as Miaka told her about Andy having made a move on her at the hotel, the feelings of jealousy Miaka had had when Shiko had arrived, and how Taka had shown up at the worst possible time – since he had seen Andy and Miaka's little "scene." 

"Wow." Yui rubbed her temples gently with her index fingers. She just knew she was going to get a headache before the night was over. "So let me get this straight. You've been wanting Taka to pay more attention to you. Feeling lonely and such. Then Andy shows up and you aren't so lonely anymore. Then Taka shows up to try and fix things and you get mad at him."

Miaka squirmed, "Well when you put it that way it makes me sound like some awful witch…"

"You know what I mean. That's just the basic stuff. The real problem isn't whether Taka's paying attention to you or not is it? The problem is that you aren't so sure of your feelings anymore are you?"

Miaka squirmed some more, "Yui… You're making me sound horrible!"

"You're not horrible, Miaka. You just don't know what you want. That's natural."

"Eh…well then why do I feel so bad?" Miaka sulked. Taka was great. But she was _really beginning to get attached to Andy. She didn't want to even think about him leaving in a week, and she really disliked the thought of him being with anyone else. When she expressed these thoughts to Yui, the blonde merely smiled._

"I really don't know what to tell you Miaka. I never met Hotohori of I'd feel like I could give you some better advice." Yui sighed, she hoped that what she was about to tell her best friend was the right thing. "I think, that if you are having serious doubts at to where you and Taka stand that…." She paused watching Miaka's face closely for a reaction. That's what would tell her if she'd done the right thing or not. Whether Miaka knew it herself or not, her heart always seemed to be able to make the right choice. Yui envied her for that. Yui always felt so full of doubt. She had learned the hard way that it was the _brain that a girl needed to watch out for. The mind always wanted to seek for the most logical answer. __The heart however… Yui continued, "you should give Andy a chance."_

There is was. That faint shimmer and a glow that suddenly erupted from the other girls face. Yui braced herself as she was suddenly glomped by a hundred and some-odd pounds auburn hair and green eyes. "Oh _thank you_ Yui-chan! You're the best!!"

Yui smiled as she hugged her best friend. "You owe me."

Miaka laughed and squeezed harder just to annoy Yui. "Yes. Yes I do!"

After Miaka had calmed down, she sat down on the opposite end of the couch from Yui and curled up around a throw pillow, her chin resting on it lightly. "Yui?"

Yui cocked her head and grabbed her own pillow to hug. "Yeah?"

"Why did you tell me to give Andy a chance?" Miaka's grip tightened on the pillow, "Just curious."

"Well. First of all, you've been so unhappy with Taka lately that I was just about to start setting you up on blind dates."

Miaka giggled at the image of Yui shoving her out the door with several varieties of men, (pierced and tattooed, clean cut, and "exotic" crossed her mind), "Really?"

"Yes. Really!" Yui nodded. "Not only that, but from what I know…" her voice got quiet, "From what I read before being sucked back into the Universe of the Four Gods, it looked like he really loved you." She paused, gauging Miaka's reactions, "And then when you had to go back to fight Tenkou, I found out that he'd married a lady named Houki and had a son. He doesn't sound like the kind of person to marry someone he didn't love," Yui noticed how Miaka's face fell at that, "But I doubt that he ever really stopped loving you. The man waited his entire life to for you," She saw Miaka cringe at that, and was sorry that she'd made her feel bad, but continued on anyway, "and now that he's here, I think he deserves a chance to be loved more than anyone else I can think of."

Miaka nodded slightly. What Yui had said was one hundred percent completely true.

If anything, what she owed Hotohori more than anything was a chance. 

And she was going to give that to him.

**What _did_ happen to Yumi's Inspiration Demon?**

**Hotohori: *hands Yumiko the ID which is bright eyed and healthy looking***

**Yumiko: You fixed him!**

**Hotohori: *inconspicuously kicks a cardboard box with a clawed arm sticking out under the conveniently placed bed* Eh. Yeah. Don't mention it.**

**New Inspiration Demon: purrrrrrrrrrrr…….**

**Yumiko: *huggle***

**Hotohori: So _that's what happened to the last one… asphyxiation._**

**A day at the Black Hole:**

Yumiko: *is asleep at the table the black hole sits at by the scratching post*

Hayai: *comes barging into MW, first thing she does is to poke Yumiko in the ribs*

Yumi:  Aiyip!!

Hayai: You _squeaky_!!

Yumi: *glare* I _sleepy_!

Hayai: *blithely ignores the death glare* Didja work on WWMA?

Yumi: Eh…

Hayai: Post it! Post it! Post it!

Yumi: *glare*

Hayai: *self-preservation kicks in* Eh… Notes?


	7. Friends and More than Friends

For once we'll skip the AN's! Here's the revamped chapter seven. I hope it's better than the original version!!

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Seven: Friends, and "_Friends"_

Miaka lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She hadn't slept very well. She had kept replaying the entire scene with Taka the evening before in her head all night long. After thinking it over for the millionth time, Miaka finally came to the decision that she had been too hard on him, and much too short. It was just… she had been so _mad_. Ever since she could remember, Tamahome, and Taka after that, had seemed to be able to sweet talk their way out of trouble with her. She loved him – she did – and the things he said to her were undeniably sweet and heartfelt. It was just that after having had the same thing happen to her so many times… It just made her feel like she was being manipulated.

She knew Taka wasn't that kind of a guy and that he was only doing it to save his own skin, but it really didn't make Miaka feel very good about herself. And then, when she realized that she had been sweet talked out of being mad again, she never _could figure out how to bring it up with him without starting a brand new fight that would end the exact same way. It was an annoying circle of wills, and she always seemed to be the loser. Gods she hated that._

It was almost like how their relationship had been going for a while now. Things were fine when they were together. Miaka loved Taka and Taka loved Miaka. Their caring about one another hadn't really changed; though sometimes Miaka wondered if it had slumped into a more brother/sister type of affection. It was just that… some of the little things that Taka did, and didn't realize he was doing, or _not doing in some cases, bothered her. And Miaka didn't know how to tell him without starting a fight, which Taka would wiggle out of. She was beginning to think that Taka didn't know how to deal with his problems any way other than to ignore it, get others (her for example) to forget about it, and then not deal with it at all._

Geez. He was like a little kid.

Although, considering how she had acted last night, she wasn't acting much better. Miaka frowned, _I can_ still _say it's all his fault._ She groused to herself, _Because__ it is!_

Okay so it really _wasn't, but it made her feel better to pretend, so… That's what she was going to believe for the time being._

Now where had her thoughts been a moment ago? Ah yes. Her current love life which was quickly becoming far more complicated than she really ever wanted it to ever be… She had told Taka last night that he had better start thinking of himself as single, but she hadn't really meant it to be permanent; only for the time being. Taka would likely know that, seeing as he had dated her for how many years now? They had broken up several times depending on the circumstances, or simply because one of them needed the space, and they had always gotten back together again. Miaka knew in her heart that Taka knew she wouldn't stay mad at him for very long. She never did.

So. Where did that leave her and Andy? She wanted to spend more time with him; she had also told herself last night that she was going to give him a chance which she knew he greatly deserved. But what if she didn't feel the same way about him as he did about her? She didn't want to lead him on if she wasn't going to be able to love him back as much as he deserved. Miaka knew from her time in the book that Hotohori had loved her unconditionally with all his heart, and she would be the most heartless person in the world if she hurt him. She didn't want that.

Miaka rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head, hoping that if she suffocated she wouldn't have to deal with any of this anymore. _You know what? Men suck. Maybe I should just become a lesbian? Nah… Then I'd not only have to deal with my own hormonal fluctuations, I'd have to deal with someone _elses _too… I hate my life…_

Just ignoring what Andy was offering her would be the smartest choice. She should make up with Taka and just stay friends with the former Emperor of Konan. He had been married to another woman. He'd probably end up with the reincarnated version of Houki. All Miaka had to do was stand back and let fate take its course. Besides, why would the former Emperor, now a famous pop star, want _her_ of all people?

She wasn't that pretty. She was clumsy. She still acted like a kid half of the time. No self respecting guy in his right mind would want to date her. Well… except maybe Taka…

She swallowed. Hotohori probably hadn't really loved her, ever. He had told her once that he'd been in love with the Suzaku no Miko of legend since he was a child. Miaka felt her heart shift uncomfortably. So it had all been a thing of circumstance. _He probably would have fallen in love with Yui if she had ended up as Suzaku no Miko instead of me,_ she thought. _Yui is the refined, intelligent, beautiful one. She'd have made a _great_ Empress. Just like Houki. The words left a somewhat bitter feeling in her heart._

Miaka shook her head. Yes, it was true that Yui and Houki were alike in their quiet and refined mannerisms and almost regal bearing, but something about picturing either of them with Hotohori – Andy now, made Miaka want to cringe. Though she loved her best friend and probably would have become good friends with Houki if she'd been given the chance, something about Hotohori loving them as completely as he had always told Miaka he had loved _her_ seemed… weird, and kind of a little bit _wrong_ somehow.

_They're too… Alike. Miaka decided after thinking it over for a while. While either of them would have been an excellent choice for an Empress, and that Houki had, in the end, borne Hotohori a wonderful son, their personalities were so much on par with the Emperors own that it seemed a relationship between Hotohori and one of the two of them would be quite… boring. Miaka smiled slightly as she remembered how Hotohori had always been such a quiet and refined person, unapproachable by most, and had had such an air about him that made him seem almost as though he weren't human._

Which, Miaka hypothesized, was what an Emperor was supposed to seem like. She also recalled how, whenever she had spoken to him, that he had almost immediately lost that unapproachable demeanor and become more like the eighteen year old boy he was. She realized now that she really shouldn't have ever treated him as she did, she had, by most standards, not treated Hotohori with the respect an Emperor deserved. Something that she knew that Houki did do, and that Yui would have done.

And in doing so would likely have never really known the _real_ Hotohori.

Miaka mentally slapped herself. _What are you_ thinking? Houki _was good woman and I'm sure that Hotohori loved her! How could you even think that he wouldn't**? I didn't say he didn't love her, I was just thinking that maybe, as much as they loved each other, that they simply weren't **_**right_ for one another. You know? Two poles with the same charge usually repel each other and opposites attract…_**_Okay, shut up right now. I am getting out of bed, and I am not going think anymore until I've eaten._

Of course, one can never really stop thinking, so Miaka's resolution lasted only a few second before her overactive brain was back to frantically trying to figure out her life.

Miaka sighed. _Alright.__ Rewind and summarize. Now that she had figured out that she had treated Taka unfairly and that she should apologize to him, but she had also decided that she was going to give Andy a chance which would really not make Taka very happy, and… Okay. Still too complicated._

First things first. She was going to talk to Taka and attempt to get him to actually _listen_ to her. It was best to try and iron things out with him first before she made any moves about getting into – or even _thought_ about getting into – another relationship with anyone. Especially Andy.

Finally having the motivation to roll herself out of bed, Miaka got dressed and brushed her hair and then looked at the clock. _Argh__.__ Ten-thirty. She had class in not too long. Did she _really_ want to set herself up for being stressed out the rest of the day by talking to Taka right now? She eventually decided that it was better to just get it all out of the way as soon as possible, and after plugging the phone back in, (she had unplugged it in order to avoid any calls from Taka the night before) picked up the receiver and dialed Taka's cell phone number._

"Eh? Oh, hold on Tetsuya, someone's calling me." Taka held up his hand to silence his friend, set down his bowl of ramen, and answered his phone. "Hello?" After Miaka's slight tantrum (which he realized he couldn't exactly blame her for) last night, he had gone to Tetsuya's house to stay since Miaka had been less than pleased with him at the time. Besides, sleeping on the doorstep was out of the question.

"Taka?"

Taka felt relief flow through him. He'd known that Miaka couldn't stay angry at him for long, but he hadn't expected her to forgive him this soon. "Hi! How are you?"

"Better. Look, I realize that I was very short with you last night, and I apologize for my rude behavior, but…" she trailed off, unsure how to phrase what she wanted to say next. Darn it. Why was it that she could never voice exactly what was in her head? She had thought it all out this morning, and now she couldn't remember half of it.

Taka smiled slightly, imagining his girlfriend's gorgeous green eyes narrowing and her face scrunching up cutely in thought. She was so cute when she was thinking something profound and couldn't figure out how to say it. "Go on."

Miaka sighed, "We need to talk. I'm sorry I yelled at you last night, but what I said was true. Lately I've been feeling as if you don't trust me very much. I've also felt as though whatever I say goes right in one ear and out the other. I'm also sorry about not telling you about Hotohori, I mean, Andy. It was just such a surprise to see him again and…and…"

Taka nodded on his end of the phone. He understood, he'd even realized some of what she was saying himself. He knew they needed to work some things out, but he was confident that everything would be alright in the end. "Alright Miaka. We'll talk. Do you want me coming over there, or do you want to come here?"

"Eh heh… yeah. About that… Do you know how to fix a car?"

Half an hour later, Taka was at Miaka's apartment with a bunch of tools he'd borrowed off of Tetsuya and managing to get grease all over himself as he attempted to fix the car. "Geez, Miaka. What'd you do to this thing? Set a bunch of gremlin's loose in the engine?"

Miaka frowned and gave the hood a good swat, smiling in satisfaction when she heard it hit Taka's head with a hearty THUD. "Just fix it will you? I need to get to class later and then I have work."

Taka peered around the hood, rubbing his head with his free hand; the other was covered in oil and grease. He would have yelled under other circumstances, but he supposed she still needed to vent a little anger. "I can give you a ride you know. It's not like just because you're mad at me you can't accept rides…"

"I don't want to bother you. Besides, if you showed up at the Clinic I don't think you'd get out of the parking lot alive."

Looking perplexed, Taka stuck his head back under the hood, "Why's that?"

She laughed, "Well, you know how you've cancelled a lot of dates lately and how I blew up last night? Guess who hears about all of the stuff that I blew up about last night right after it actually happens? Yumiko and Hayai in particular think you're a real jerk."

Taka looked wounded as he held out his hand, "Wrench." Miaka handed him the tool, wondering idly if he'd actually meant 'wench' and been referring to the other girls, "I'm so glad you've built up such a wonderful image of me for your co-workers…"

"That time you came to surprise me and thought that Yumiko was me? That didn't really win you any brownie points with her. She threatened to castrate you if you ever made that mistake again."

He flushed and closed the hood, wiping his hands on an already greasy towel, "What's the big deal? All I did was hug her and say 'I love you.'" He muttered defensively as he turned the key to check and see if the car was fixed yet. To his delight the car started and purred like a happy kitten being scratched under the chin.

Miaka placed her hands on her hips, "She's never had a boyfriend. Having some strange guy come up while she's bent over cleaning out a crate and hugging her from behind whispering 'I love you' in her ear must have been rather traumatizing." At his extremely embarrassed expression, Miaka took pity on him and hugged him, grease and all. "Thank you for fixing my car. I owe you."

Taka grinned mischievously and brought a greasy hand up to cup her cheek. She made a face at him for getting grease on her. "Yes. You do." The way he said it sent chills up her spine and the way he looked at her made her heart throb painfully in remembrance of how things used to be, but when she tilted her head back and stood on her tiptoes for a kiss, he simply placed a soft, chaste kiss on her forehead before pulling away.

Disappointed that Taka had not taken the opportunity for what could have been a redeeming moment, Miaka picked up the greasy towel and flung it playfully at his head. "Okay. Now _that's_ what I'm talking about."

He caught the towel effortlessly, "What do you mean?"

"Something's missing." The light hearted moment had suddenly taken a dive straight down.

An eyebrow rose, "Like what?"

Miaka threw her hands in the air, "I don't know…" she ran a hand through her hair nervously, "It's like… the fire died or something. We kiss, we do couple things like hold hands and go on dates… but there's nothing _there_ anymore."

Taka looked confused, "Miaka, I _love_ you. Make no mistake about that."

"I know you _love me. But is it the right kind of love? Like that kiss. There was really nothing to it. It was physical contact. Like you felt you were obligated to do it. Nothing else."_

Taka looked thoroughly insulted by that. "Not every kiss has to be hot and heavy, Miaka."

"That's not what I _mean_!" why couldn't she just say it? It was something she couldn't seem to voice. It was there, but she didn't really know what it was telling her. "You've been treating me, in different ways, more like a little sister than a girlfriend. You always have. Frankly, it's annoying and frustrating because you never seem to take me seriously." Miaka could feel her eyes burning and her throat convulsing wildly. What she was about to say would be treading on very think ice, but she felt that it needed to be said. "I've only known Andy for a few days, and he seems to take me more seriously than I even take myself."

"I do _so take you seriously. Why would I be working my butt off to make sure we can have a comfortable life if I wasn't serious about us being together?" Taka gripped her arms now. Miaka wasn't sure when he'd moved, but she didn't really want him so close at the moment. She wanted to hold onto her thought process, thank you very much. "What about Hotohori?"_

"But I don't _care about having a comfortable life! I don't _care_ about being high standing in society! Those are things _you_ want. All I've ever _wanted_ was someone I could just _be_ with and be __happy because I'm with them!" Miaka wriggled out of Taka's grasp and continued, "You used to make me happy. I used to be able to just forget about everything when I was with you, but not anymore, and Andy makes me feel the way you used to." Miaka felt her throat convulse and she swallowed. She would not cry. She would not look weak in front of Taka. Not now. "Money doesn't make you happy. __Love makes you happy. __Friendship makes you happy. You seem to have forgotten that." _

Taka's mind was a blank. He couldn't think of a single thing to say that would negate what she had just said. Then, "So I guess the fact that this guy happens to be a rich mega-star has nothing to do with it?"

Miaka's jaw dropped, she was scandalized at what Taka had just suggested. "You certainly know me better than that! You think I'd just be after his money? When did I ever _care_ that Hotohori was the Emperor? He was my friend. And he still is." _And maybe, he could be more. _

Fishing in her pocket, Miaka pulled out a twenty, "Thanks for fixing the car. I'll see you later. I have things I need to do." She held it out to him and watched dispassionately as he took it and pocketed it. Without another word she turned and started up the steps. What she really wanted at the moment was for Taka to come after her. Apologize and tell her that he would try to change, that maybe she had been wrong and that Taka still held in him that passion that she had fallen in love with.

When she got to the door she stopped and turned to look at him over her shoulder, not wanting to leave everything on such a cold note, "Taka, I think it would be best if maybe we took a break for a while. I need some time to sort some things out, and" she looked pointedly at him, "I want you to think about what I've said." With that, she opened the door a stepped inside.

Taka watched as Miaka walked away from him up. He knew that he'd been spending too much time at work and that he'd been neglecting Miaka, but apparently she was mad at him for something else. He sat down and began to think. He began replaying everything that had happened since they'd met in his head. More like a sister than a girlfriend was how she'd said he treated her. Was she right?

When they'd first met, that was how he had seen her. Like a younger sibling that needed protection. Then he'd seen her as more of his responsibility when it had been discovered that she was the Suzaku no Miko. He was born to protect her, and so he had. He had eventually fallen in love with her. He loved the way she smiled, the way she laughed, but most of all, he loved her heart. The way she was so open and caring about the world. How she had been strong enough to take a stand in order to help a country that she had no real attachments to. He had teased her mercilessly, much like he had done with his younger siblings.

After the book, they had been romantic for a while, but not much past just kissing. After time, even that had dwindled to little more than nothing what with both of their lives being so busy. It was like neither one had time for the other anymore. And sadly, it seemed that the only one _unwilling_ to make time had been him. And now, even as much as they still loved each other, it seemed that that once passionate love had faded into something little more than a very close friendship without either of them really noticing.

Was _that was she had been trying to get at? Had the fire _really_ died?_

With that revelation, Taka collected Tetsuya's tools and climbed back into his car. He had a lot to think about.

 "Andy, where are we going?" Miaka had lived in Tokyo all her life, but she had absolutely _no idea where the singer was taking her. She had asked at least three times and every time Andy would simply smile in that infuriatingly calm way that was very reminiscent of his former self and say, "Just wait and see." _

 "_Andy. Where are we going?" she pleaded. Sheesh. The man had come and kidnapped her from work. Just plain hauled her up from the puppy room and out the front door without so much as letting her punch out first. As she had been ushered out the front door, Miaka had seen Arashi punch out her time card for her, and Kieru – who was running the front desk – to wave her goodbye. _

Again, that infuriatingly calm smile and a mischievous glint in the golden eyes, "Just wait and see." Miaka made a mental note that instead of killing Andy for keeping whatever it was from her, she would kill her co-workers for conspiring with Andy in order to desperately confuse her.

Miaka gritted her teeth. It was like watching a particularly good movie with someone who'd seen it already and wanting to know what happens next, but they refuse to tell you anything. She pouted, crossing her arms and leaning against the window in an attempt to force him to feel bad about not telling her and relent, but he steadfastly refused to give in.

The jerk.

For someone who had only been in Tokyo for two days, Andy sure seemed to know where he was going. As the driver went up and down seemingly random streets, Miaka wondered idly where Andy thought he was taking her. When they finally stopped, Miaka looked to see where Andy had taken her.

…and just her luck, the place didn't have a sign. Geez. What'd he decide to do? Take her in through the back door?

_The world likes_ to torture me…_ she groused as she allowed Andy to tow her inside the small establishment._

Andy grinned as he watched Miaka's face go from slightly out of breath, to completely speechless. 

"what… why…." Miaka stuttered, unable to find words to express all of the thoughts wheeling inside her head.

Andy had just brought her to the most expensive dress boutique in town. Turning to look at the sneak, Miaka shook her head, still dumbfounded. "Why are we here? And don't you _dare_ say that you think you're buying me anything because I will _not let you spend that much money on me!"_

Andy smiled sheepishly and held up his hands in defeat, "Alright. You win." _There go my plans…_ he groused inwardly.

Miaka was still staring at him incredulously. "Again. I ask, why?" She had been debating on whether or not to tell him about what she had decided about giving him a chance, but this killed any and all thoughts of doing anything of the sort. Apparently, Andy didn't care whether she had a boyfriend or not. Like Hotohori, he lo- _liked her, (the L-word it seemed was going a little too far even though she knew that it was Hotohori) and he was going to make that very clear to her whether or not she could reciprocate his feelings. It almost made her want to cry. She clamped down on the tears. _Enough crying damnit.__ He's going to think you do nothing but cry.__

He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, he really hoped she liked it…"Well, I realize that I asked you to go with me to the publicity event on very short notice so…" he trailed off; he had not been sure how Miaka would react to what he had in mind. Apparently she wasn't the type of girl that liked it when you bought expensive things for her.

"I thought I'd compensate by buying you a dress to wear." He finished, trying to look as pathetic as possible. He already knew that the puppy eyes were the surest way to get out of trouble with Miaka. "I thought I was being nice." 

Miaka sighed and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly so that he would know that she wasn't mad, "I know… it's a very sweet gesture, but this is just _too_ expensive! I can't let you spend this much on me. It wouldn't feel right." _Not to mention that I would feel incredibly guilty__ for the remainder of my natural life…_

Andy sighed heavily, he'd only wanted to please her. It seemed that he couldn't even do that properly. Somehow, this thought seemed to bring with it a flood of feelings that he knew he shouldn't be having after such a short amount of time. He felt almost like he'd been rejected. Multiple times. "Fine. I won't buy anything today. But since we're here… why don't you try something on? Just for the fun of it?" He grinned when she gaze him a sort of sideways look. "What?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. You just… sounded like someone I used to know." She grinned evilly and added, "He was gay." She snickered when Andy's jaw dropped in a falsely wounded expression. Well. He _had just been __asking for that one. Who would have thought that Hotohori would like to shop? He was reminding her a little of Nuriko at the moment, only much less flamboyant. It was amazing how much more open Andy was than his former incarnation, although not really all that surprising._

Andy sniffed, still feigning injury, "What are you implying? You do know that that was quite dirty of you? Very low blow."

She grinned broadly, "Well, you shouldn't leave yourself open like that." She cocked her head, "And then there's the hair… and the pretty-boy thing you've got going on…"

Andy's hands flew to his head, "What _about my hair? Does it look okay?" the panicked look on his face was just too much._

_Too easy…_ thought Miaka. "Here." She shifted the two or three dresses she had picked up to one arm and reached up as though she were going to fix whatever was wrong with his hair. _So trusting…_ She grinned as she petted his hair a few times. It was then that the evil glint appeared in her eye again and she ruffled it all obscenely before skipping off to the dressing room.

Andy stood there, shocked that she could be so… evil, underhanded, and _sneaky_! He was going to have to watch it around her. He made a mental note to never trust her with a pair of scissors, though he knew that she wouldn't ever really be _quite that mean. Still in shock, and pouting at the sudden loss of his dignity, Andy preened until every single hair was back in place._

_And who's she calling a pretty-boy? I'm not pretty, I'm beautiful__! Andy shook his head at his train of thought. _Just don't let her hear you say that out loud… She'll really think you're gay then.____

Andy looked up when he heard the door to the dressing room open. And stared.

He had always thought Miaka was beautiful. However, it wasn't only her physical beauty that he loved. She was one of those people that he felt that he could see her very soul shining from her whenever he looked at her, and that that was what made her beautiful. Seeing her auburn hair bounce with her easy, happy movements and her glittering green eyes sparking with spirit always seemed to be able to make him drop the façade of "untouchable pop star" and become a normal person and just make him happy to be alive. He hadn't felt that for anyone else for as long as he could remember.

Which was why, when he saw her in that dress, it had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the fact that it showed off her figure perfectly and emphasized every physical aspect that a man usually liked on a woman. Andy closed his eyes tight for a second and then opened them again. Nope. It wasn't a dream. The vision of loveliness was still there. _Down boy…_ he coached himself.

Miaka blushed at the completely stupefied expression on Andy's face, "So, I gather you like it?" she titled her head and he noticed that she had taken her hair down out of the pony-tail she'd been wearing earlier. She looked nervous, and unaccountably shy; like she hadn't been sure of coming out of the dressing room or not.

He smiled and, after picking up the shattered remains of his 'you look good but I am not going to drool over you' air and strode over, smiling from ear to ear. "Beautiful," He said as he circled her, somewhat like a curator studying a particularly interesting piece of art.

"Yes, isn't it?" Indeed, Miaka had to agree that the dress was very beautiful. The red satiny fabric sported a V neckline, which, to Miaka's relief, had a filmy gold piece of fabric draped there, minimizing the feeling that she was exposed to the world. The shoulders were gathered, so that the fabric draped elegantly. Miaka's favorite part of the dress was that, from each shoulder, there were three separate veils which all came out at slightly different angles, doing a wonderful job of covering Miaka's shoulders and uppers arms, which she felt slightly uncomfortable having exposed.  They reminded her of wings in a way, which had made her feel almost as if she were cos-playing as a female Suzaku.

Andy chuckled, she apparently hadn't understood. "Miaka, I was complementing you. Not the dress." He tentatively reached out and readjusted the veils, liking how the fabric felt against his fingers, and liking even more the way Miaka's face reddened when he touched her. 

Miaka stuttered slightly, "L-liar." She grinned to cover up her nervousness.

A bit emboldened by her shyness, Andy raised his hands to cup her face. "I'm not lying. I think you are one of the most wonderful, beautiful people I've ever met. Inside and out."

Miaka tried to look away, but it seemed that his eyes were magnets or something to that effect, because Miaka could not tell herself to look away from those wondrous golden depths. "Andy…"

"Miaka…" Wow. Suddenly it seemed that they were floating in a land of pink bubbles and golden lights that contained only the two of them. The evil, sarcastic part of Andy's mind scoffed. _Psh__. Andy see pretty girl. Andy have attention span of butterfly..._

The moment was ruined by what had to be the most annoying sound in the universe. Ayame's screeching.

Happy bubble land was suddenly gone. Andy could almost hear an audible POP.

"Oh _my_ God! Andy! Andy _Wong!"_

The two jumped apart, not realizing that their faces had begun to creep closer and closer together until the moment had been broken. Miaka blinked and picked up her jacket from a nearby chair, holding it in front of her like a shield. She didn't mind wearing it for Andy, but having someone else she knew see her in it made her feel… uncomfortable.

The dark haired girl exploded out of a nearby rack of dresses and nearly tackled Andy. "How are you? It's been _so long! I missed you!"_

Miaka refrained from gagging, and after raising an eyebrow at the singer lying prone on the floor with a hyperactive teenybopper sitting on his midriff, turned to go put on her normal clothes. Andy wasn't going anywhere. And it would be interesting to see how he handled his rabid fans. Actually, Miaka was surprised that this didn't happen more often with his being so famous and all.

Andy smiled politely up at the insane girl. "Eh… Hi. I'm perfect. How are you?" _Please get off of me…_ "Could you… eh… please… move, perhaps?" It just so happened that the girl was sitting somewhere that was causing the poor man much pain.

Ayame shifted and climbed off of him, allowing the singer to stand up and brush himself off. She looked up at him with big liquid eyes and sighed. He was so beautiful. So perfect. She loved him to no end. She would do anything for him is he so much as asked.

"Are you going to be in Tokyo too much longer? Hey! We could hang out! I mean, you don't live here so I'm sure you'd need someone to show you around and all…" she twittered and Andy had to resist from rubbing his ear so as not to appear rude.

"That's very kind of you Ayame, but… I've already got a sort of guide…" he started, he glanced at the door to the dressing room, hoping that Miaka would just get done dressing and get her butt out here and _save_ him from this lunatic.

Ayame's eyes dropped and she looked infinitely sad, "Oh. I see. Who?"

At that moment, Miaka finally opened the door to the dressing room. "Oh hi Ayame!" she smiled brightly at her co-worker. "I didn't realize you were here." She frowned, "Didn't you call in sick to work today?"

The other girl giggled, "Yeah… but I was, you know, playing hooky. I need a new dress."

Miaka's eyes widened, "From here? Good grief _where are you going?" __How is she going to pay__ for it?_

The girl dug her toe into the carpet. "Just a thing my family is being dragged to. My daddy's a reporter you know."

Andy paled. He had an idea of what the girl was going to. Please no, please no, please no… "The Publicity event this Friday? You're father is going to be covering it?"

Ayame smiled brightly, "Uh huh." She chirped, "And I get to go with him."

Miaka smiled, "Well, I guess I'll see you there, then." She really didn't want Ayame's feelings to be hurt over this. After countless days of listening to the girl blather on about how much she loved Andy and how much she knew about him, Miaka felt undeniably awful about what Ayame would probably see as encroaching on her territory.

Dark eyes snapped from Andy's face to Miaka, "What?"

Andy stepped closer to Miaka and placed a hand on her shoulder. Trying to be a sort of buffer between Miaka and Ayame if tempers flared. Ayame was a nice girl, but she seemed like the sort to kid of lose her head over certain things. Kind of like Shiko, he observed. Shiko was probably the one crew member that Andy could talk as a friend, but he knew that she wanted them to be more than that which he just couldn't do. She didn't interest him in that way. She also had a hell of a temper that even he was kind of afraid to mess with. He'd eaten the last croissant a while back and… it hadn't been pretty. "Miaka has been kind enough the last couple of days to show me around Tokyo. She also agreed to go with me on Friday." He smiled down at the top of Miaka's head, trying to gauge out of the corner of his eye Ayame's reaction.

Ayame suddenly backed away a little. Until now she had been standing close enough that Andy felt his bubble was being invaded, but now she backed up respectfully to a farther distance. Although she looked less than happy about it. "That's great. I guess I'll see you two there then?" The two nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as Ayame disappeared through more racks of clothes.

The two didn't even need to say anything as Miaka hung up the dresses she tried on (the one was the only one she'd felt comfortable letting Andy see on her) and allowed Andy to take her arm as he steered her towards the door they had come in through.

"Andy?"

"Shiko?"

_Oh joy. Though Miaka as the dark haired, nicely curved woman appeared out of one of the numerous racks of clothing. Just what we need. _Another neurotic… I don't even know what to _call_ her!__

Shiko's eyes ran up and down Andy a few times, "My dear, you look _so_ much better in Armani. I _do hope you're not wearing that to the publicity event? Mr. Kimoto would have an aneurysm." She was referring to what Miaka thought were rather nice looking jeans and a dark t-shirt and a leather jacket that Miaka desperately wanted to have. Shiko's eyes traveled to the intersection of Miaka and Andy's arms, glaring as though it offended her greatly. "And who is this little friend of yours, again?"_

Andy seemed oblivious to the girls rude behavior while Miaka seethed, "This is Miaka. Please don't mention to Mr. Kimoto that you saw us here. He'd blow a fuse."

Shiko smiled in a pouty fashion, "What will you give me? I don't do favors for free you know."

He raised an eyebrow, he was used to Shiko's behavior, though he was a little wary of what she might attempt to do next, "Like what?"

The dark haired vixen reached up casually and snagged a bit of Andy's long hair, pulling him forward just enough so that she could kiss him on the forehead. "That will do for now. Don't worry." She rolled her eyes at Andy as he rubbed the spot she'd kissed him, trying to make sure that her dark lipstick hadn't left any marks. "I won't tell anyone that you and your new little friend were gallivanting about unsupervised. You know. You're _only a super star that people could __kidnap and hold for ransom…" she trailed off and quirked her lips up in a half smile, "Just don't do anything __stupid like spend too much time around people with camera's."_

Both Andy and Miaka eyed her, Miaka trying her hardest not to attack the girl, "What?"

She waved nonchalantly as she browsed the racks, "If you ever read the newspaper you'd know what I was talking about."

Miaka sighed as she and Andy stared at the front page of the newspaper. There was picture of both of them on the street holding hands. However, it appeared that Mr. Kimoto had paid someone off to blur Andy's face out, because Miaka was the only one you could really tell who she was.

"Look at it this way," Miaka suggested as Andy glared around, as though daring another reporter to take a picture, "at least you haven't been chased down the street yet by a million rabid fan girls, yet."

"Yes. That is most definitely a plus…"

Miaka watched Andy out of the corner of her eye. She had told him only a day ago that she just wanted to be friends. But with her recent decisions regarding where she and Taka stood, and all of the buried feelings that the singer had begun to stir up, Miaka was wondering if she really wanted to cross the line now and tell Andy that she was willing to try being a little more than just _friends_.

She had almost gathered up enough courage to do so when Andy snagged her hand and squeezed it. "Miaka…"

The way he said her name made a shiver race down her spine, but she covered it up, "Yeah?"

He turned to her, his dark hair falling in his eyes as he looked into her eyes, trying to see something that would tell him whether or not he really had a chance with this girl that had seemed to instantly capture his heart. He knew it likely sounded silly, and just a little bit crazy, but something in the back of his head was telling him that he couldn't let this girl go. Who cared if she had a boyfriend? And that that confounded ring was still on her finger? Something told Andy that he had waited far too long to simply give up without a fight. She had told him that she just wanted to be friends, but he had a feeling that if he just kept at it, let her know in any way no matter how small, that she might just change her mind.

Andy wasn't sure if some evil part of his mind that he liked to pretend he didn't have had actually been working on this plan for the last day or so, or if maybe fate was playing a role and he was only being spontaneous. Either way, that movie theater was _right there, and they were __right across the street. And, was it just him, or did she just look like she wanted to go and see a romantic movie?_

It was worth a shot.

After she said yes, as he'd known she would, they crossed the street and Andy – joyously – had yet to let go of her hand. It was as they were coming up to buy their tickets that a thought occurred to him.

"You'd save me from the rabid fan-girls, right?"

The movie had been great. It had left both Miaka and Andy with that happy, uplifted, slightly mushy feeling one gets after watching one of those all-time classic romances. 

Miaka wasn't stupid. Andy hadn't really been too subtle about the movie. Once they'd sat down he'd, of course, been a complete gentleman as he always was. Though sometime around the first meeting of the two main characters he'd been bold enough to sneak his arm around her shoulders and continued to hold her hand throughout the entire feature.

And she had _let_ him.

That was the one thing that was at the forefront of Andy's mind as they chatted about everything from everyday things such as work to more personal subjects such as their families. She had gradually been letting him get closer and closer to her all night. It was a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn from where they'd been a day or so ago when she'd been the one so adamant about maintaining a certain distance.

Had she changed her mind?

Though a bit unsure, Andy decided to voice his thoughts to Miaka. When he did, she had the decency to blush in slight embarrassment at being caught going back on her word.

She couldn't seem to look him in the eye and focused instead on the interesting design on his t-shirt. "Well… you see, Andy…" she glanced up and wasn't sure whether she was relieved or not to find two piercing golden eyes peering down at her interestedly through dark wisps of hair. "I was trying to decide whether or not to tell you this but…" she trailed of once again. Unsure of how to explain it to him.

Sure. She could just come out and _tell him that the reason she wanted to give him a chance was because he was the reincarnation of one of the Suzaku Seven that he'd read about in legends. Or that he'd been in love with her in his past life and that was the whole reason he was having such a strong attraction to her at present. But that would be the _easy_ way out._

Not to mention he'd think she'd gone insane…

"I like you." She started, "I really do. And well… you've told me right out that you're attracted to me… and…" she faltered, her face going red. Why, oh why couldn't she be more like Yui? She'd bet _anything that Yui wouldn't have gotten this embarrassed over anything! "Well… the reason I was wanting to stay just friends with you was because of my boyfriend, but… we've been having some… problems as of late and well…" Suzaku, her face felt like it was going to melt right off, "We're taking a break because we're not really sure how we feel about each other any more and…" she broke off again and looked up, hoping that Andy wasn't thinking her a complete idiot for not even being able to string a sentence together._

Andy, who had been sitting in the seat directly across from Miaka, leaned forward, his lovely hair spilling over his shoulders and placed his hand over both of Miaka's which were clenched tightly in her lap, "Take your time, Miaka. I'm in no hurry."

_Yeah easy for _you_ to say._ You're the one who gets to sit and watch _me_ make a fool out of myself. Now I realize how much respect I should have for Hotohori for being able to do this several times and then get rejected and do it _again__. Suzaku if I get out of this alive I swear I'll never joke about you being a large red chicken ever__ again… Miaka smiled at Andy's words, "Thanks…" she murmured before continuing, "Well. I'm not really sure how I do, or could feel about you and…" she hadn't thought it was possible to get any redder than she already was, but she had just proved herself wrong._

Andy was startled to say the least. He had not expected such a revelation from Miaka so soon after having known her for such a short amount of time. He was shocked, to say the least, at what she was saying to him, but he was also extraordinarily pleased.

As she continued to attempt to explain to him what she wanted to say, Andy felt the hope that he had locked away inside of him suddenly spring free and begin making his heart quicken. He dared not hope. Not until he actually heard the words, but it seemed that he had been waiting to hear these words for far longer than the mere three days he had known Miaka. He did not know why he felt so strongly for the girl so soon. In all truth it was frightening, how much he was feeling, but he also knew that was he was feeling was nothing, if not _right_.

Andy drew in shallow breaths as she rambled on. He could tell she was nervous, and what he really wanted to do was reach over and wrap her in his embrace and never let go. He wanted to tell her that she could stop torturing herself. That he understood what she was trying to say, but the evil, rational part of him wouldn't allow it. It was the small selfish part of him that tried to guard his heart. It was telling him that he shouldn't get his hopes up until he heard the words. Until he _knew._

Slowly, not wanting to scare her into silence, Andy reached over and placed his hand over hers. He told her a complete lie. He desperately wanted to hear what she had to say, and he wanted to hear it now, but forcing it out of her would do no good. After all, wasn't it said that good things come to those who wait?

Andy's golden eyes searched her face as she smiled, grateful for the short respite he had offered her. Then she continued, "I want to find out, if that's alright with you."

Andy could have sworn his heart stopped for a moment. Had he actually just heard what he thought he'd heard? Knowing that his ears had not deceived him, Andy grinned broadly as he reached forward, pulling Miaka into a massive bear hug murmuring almost soundless thank you's into her hair as she allowed him to hold her to him. He still wasn't quite sure why this mere girl that he'd only just met had the power to make him feel so blissfully happy just by saying that she wanted to give him a chance to see how she felt about him, but he wasn't going to question it any longer.

She made him feel more alive and happier than anyone else he could ever remember. Whatever the reasons for that, no matter how insane they could turn out to be, he was grateful for.

Miaka giggled at how Andy was acting. He reminded her of a little boy who'd gotten everything he wanted for Christmas, and his giddiness was actually contagious.

With that, the two sat next to each other the rest of the way to Miaka's apartment, Andy, now feeling that he had the right, with his arm comfortably around Miaka and his head leaning against the top of hers as they talked.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" asked Miaka, enjoying the feel of Andy's warmth pressed to her side. If she still hadn't felt a little like she was betraying Taka, she would have likely snuggled into it without a second thought.

"I have to meet with my manager again. Hopefully he's not planning on dismembering another song of mine and rearranging it…" he trailed off miserably. "I'd much rather spend time with you. Does the clinic need any help?" he asked jokingly.

"I still say you should just push for your own music. I still don't understand how he can have so much control over what you sing." Miaka said quietly, gripping Andy's hand and playing idly with his fingers.

"He supposedly knows what the public wants. Although, truthfully, since he was hired my sales haven't really seen any improvement. Some people still have no clue who I am. Though sometimes that's a good thing." He chuckled slightly. He hadn't meant to sound so full of himself, he'd only meant it to show that his manager wasn't as good as he was supposed to be.

Miaka gave up. She could see that she wasn't going to get anywhere at present. That was when the car pulled up in front of her families apartment. Miaka opened the door and got out. Andy followed close behind her.

Andy walked her to her door. Miaka thought briefly that he must have had super glued their hands together or something because she could count the number of times they hadn't been holding hands that night on one hand.

Andy gazed down at Miaka, taking in her soft hair and pale skin. In the light from the apartments and the cool autumn air he thought she looked like some sort of fairy tale creature, possibly one of the Fae, come to Earth with the purpose of making mortal men want what he could not have. As he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, Andy thought wistfully that he would count himself lucky if he managed to capture just one more taste of her lips before he had to leave Tokyo.

Not even realizing that he had moved, Andy had leaned down far enough that before he knew what he was doing, he had captured Miaka's lips with his own. Miaka's eyes widened in surprise that he had kissed her, and then slipped closed of their own accord.

Andy expected her to pull back; to flinch, to do something, anything that would tell him that he needed to stop, or that she was unsure about what was going on.

Miaka almost let herself melt into the kiss, but a quick reminder from the back of her mind not to go too fast shot that idea out of the sky. Quickly, if a little reluctantly, Miaka pulled away from Andy, cheeks colored like sakura blossoms  as she bowed her head and smiled, bidding him a quick goodbye before disappearing swiftly into the safety of her apartment.

He probably should have felt a little cheated. Or maybe a bit insulted that Miaka had pulled away so quickly. But he felt nothing of either sort.

He was just happy.

As Andy walked back to the car, he glanced up towards Miaka's apartment just in time to see the curtain's fall back into place and a male figure to move away from the window. Golden eyes narrowed slightly as a purely male smirk crept across his face. He assumed it was Miaka's brother, watching out for his baby sister. Probably fuming that she was out with someone that he didn't know. _Well, thought Andy,_ if things work out the way the voice in the back of my head wants them too…. He'll get to know me, eventually.__

To Be Continued…

ANs: Okay. I really want to know… How'd I do?? I liked this a lot better than the original version. Nel and a bunch of others were right, and I thank the lot of you for giving me the "kick in the ass" as Anwe calls it, and telling me that. I really hope that I fixed whatever was wrong with it, because the last one bugged me, and this one doesn't, so, in my eyes… it's fixed. And if you don't like it… well, that's your problem. *nod* So… flames? Praises? "Finish the Damn Story So I can Have some Peace of Mind"'s?


	8. Revelations AKA Lotsa Talking

Wow. Long time no post, ne? *dodges thrown fruit* Aie! Sorry! Sorry! Lol. I recently discovered something amusing. Does anyone remember how when you were small and your friends wouldn't want to do something, so you'd say "That's it, you're not coming to my birthday party!"? Well, I recently discovered the author's version of it. "If you don't do (insert whatever thing here) I'll DISCONTINUE!!!!" *shrug* I thought it was funny…

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Eight

Revelations – AKA – Lotsa talking.

Miaka yawned sleepily as she walked into her family's apartment and tossed her purse on the couch. She felt floaty in the aftermath of her short kiss with Andy, almost like her head was no longer attached to her shoulders. She brought a hand to her lips in recollection of Andy's lips. She felt kind of guilty that she had had to end it so soon, but her guilty conscience and lack of experience with anyone else but Taka had made her feel as if she were fifteen again and having her first crush. 

Her feet felt nearly weightless with elation as she padded quietly towards her bedroom. She left the lights off so as not to alert her family to her less than on time arrival. No one else appeared to be awake. Which was normal, since her mother had to go to work early and her brother was usually out with friends. Maneuvering carefully through the dark hallway, Miaka felt her way towards her bedroom. She was almost there when a tingle raced up her spine and a heavy weight fell upon her shoulder.

"Aie!!" she yelped, the sound carrying at least three doors down. Almost immediately her mouth was covered and a familiar voice was whispering in her ear.

"Sheesh! Calm down, Miaka! It's just me!"

Oh.

Keisuke.

Her initial fright disappeared and Miaka tore her brother's hand away from her mouth, her heart hammering like a hummingbirds, "You _jerk_! What'd you think you were doing sneaking up on me like that?!" she hissed through her teeth, eyes flicking in the direction of their mothers room. 

This was starting to remind her of when they had both been younger and Keisuke had started sneaking out at night. Miaka had been one of those children that would get up at random throughout the night for a glass of water, and had caught him many a time either going out or coming in. Keisuke had quickly learned that bribery was a very good thing for him, and that haggling with his little sister was harder than trigonometry. (Damn she was picky when it came to pay offs!) And the game of Snoopy Little Sister had gotten old real fast.

Anyways. Now that their roles were _reversed_…. (Time to play Over-Protective Big Brother!!) Back to the interrogation!

"Who was that?" Keisuke's eyes narrowed as he gripped Miaka's shoulder like he used to when she was small, "That wasn't Taka! What're you doing going out with other guys?" Suddenly he let go of her shoulder and went into a slightly spastic spiel that was typical of him, "Scandal! You're cheating on Taka, aren't you?"

After he was done with his spiel, he quickly became serious again and loomed over his little sister, "You _do_ know that the entire concept of cheating on someone is _wrong_, right?"

Miaka tensed up at the accusation, "Of course I know that, Keisuke!" her green eyes flared with indignation, "And I'm not…" the look faded, "Technically…." She raised a hand, index finger extended, as though to lecture him on how exactly she wasn't doing something wrong, and then sighed in defeat.

Damn. She hated to admit it. But her brother had a point.

Curse elder siblings and their greater experience!!

It wasn't long before Miaka had told Keisuke the entire story. From going with Yui to the concert to having at last decided to really try giving Andy a chance.

Keisuke sighed. Why couldn't his sister just have married Taka already and had the two-point-five kids and lived happily ever after? _Why? Somehow or another, it seemed that that stupid book just kept coming _back_!_

"So that guy out there was actually Hotohori?" Keisuke blinked. Their eyes had adjusted to the dark by now, and he could clearly see his sister give him a 'duh' look from where she stood. Why hadn't he seen it? He'd seen the picture Miaka had taken of all her Seishi only about a million times! _Stupid! _Moron___!!_

Keisuke's mind was racing. He considered himself a romantic, and the only plausible explanation that he could think of for Hotohori's reappearance was that Suzaku had deigned to grant the Emperor one last chance at his sister's heart. Keisuke, who had been girlfriendless for quite a while now, could sympathize with the late Emperor. However, he wasn't sure he liked the idea of his reincarnation stealing his friend's girlfriend away. He expressed this thought to his sister, "But… where does that leave Taka?"

Miaka nodded, her face red from her brother's rather… corny, yet sweet, theory, "I know this isn't fair to Taka. But the way he's been acting hasn't been fair to me either." At Keisuke's questioning look she waved her hand, "I don't feel like explaining it all now." She looked up at him with pleading eyes, "Keisuke, I _know you like Taka and all, and you've been a great supporter to our relationship. You've been one of the people that was always so happy about us being together and wanting us to stay that way…" she paused, "but… can you… just back off and let me handle this?" she asked quietly._

Keisuke opened his mouth to protest and then shut it, nodding his sister good night and turning to enter his own bedroom.

She was right. As much as he wanted to help her and protect her, Miaka could handle things herself. He hated to admit it, but his sister was probably more mature than _he was. She had been through so much more in her young life than most people went through by the time they were eighty. _

You didn't see it at first. She was still goofy and overly happy and a regular pig when it came to food, but if you _really_ knew her, you could see something completely different about her that you didn't see in most people. An aura, if you will. She had seen some of her closest friends die and had put her own life in danger, willingly, in order to try and protect others.

After all she had been through, there was strength there; something that she had always had, but more tangible now. Something in her eyes that told people she knew more than they would ever want to know about pain and life and fighting for what you believe in.

Keisuke was infinitely proud of is sister for her strength. For wanting to continue on with her life even as much as she wished that the others were still with her. But Keisuke knew that, even as strong as Miaka was, she still sometimes cried herself to sleep over her lost friends. Blaming herself for their deaths.

Keisuke had told her countless times when she had expressed her feelings to him that it was not her fault that they died, but Miaka wouldn't listen. He supposed that she felt that it she had done something different, or been braver, or stronger that her friends might have lived. Sometimes Keisuke felt that the only way she would ever really be consoled about the issue was if her Seishi came and beat some sense into her.

So perhaps Andy's appearance had _more_ to it than Suzaku simply giving the love struck Emperor another chance. Maybe, this was Suzaku's way of healing his sister's guilty heart.

Mr. Kimoto hummed angrily to himself as he scuttled down the hall of the hotel towards Andy's room. He had a bone to pick with the singer.

Several bones, actually.

Hurriedly checking his watch, the manager frowned. It was a little early to be barging in on his client. Perhaps he should wait an hour or so? If Andy was asleep then Mr. Kimoto doubted any of his outstandingly interesting jabbering would be heard. The singer was a royal pain when it came to waking up in the morning. The boy was never fully awake until at least nine o'clock, and even then it seemed that Andy did his best to ignore Mr. Kimoto explicitly to annoy him.

_Five AM__ is late enough… he thought to himself, throwing open the door and barging into the hotel room._

The manager had expected to see a cocoon of sheets and blankets rolled up on the bed, but the sight that met his eye was an immaculately made bed that hadn't been slept in, and an obviously _awake_ Andy sitting at the desk, scribbling away on a scrap of paper. Brows lifting slightly in surprise, Mr. Kimoto knocked on the door frame before striding over and peering curiously over Andy's shoulder.

He waited for Andy to twitch about someone hovering over him, but he was so engrossed in his project that he didn't even seem to notice that there was anyone else in the room with him.

Mr. Kimoto cleared his throat and chuckled when Andy jumped, sending his pen flying across the room. "New song?" he asked.

"Well aren't you Mr. State the Obvious." Muttered Andy as he rose to go and retrieve his pen from where it had landed.

"What was that?" 

"I said, yes." Andy controlled his voice and refrained from growling. He was only _slightly cranky. He'd been up the entire night. He sighed, fingering the pen and returning to his seat._

The moment he'd left Miaka's, Andy's brain had been switched into over drive. The entire way to the hotel he had been purposefully getting stuck at red lights (much to the annoyance of the guy behind him) just so he could write down the snitches of lyrics racing through his head.

Mr. Kimoto grunted and snatched up the slips of paper lying on the desk, riffling through them and scanning the words looking as though he'd just tasted something incredibly sour. Andy's heart, which had been swelling with pride and love, suddenly sunk to somewhere near his feet.

"You don't like it?"

"I think it could use some work." He said, pulling out a cigar and lighting it. Andy's nose wrinkled in distaste as the smell wafted to where he stood. 

Coughing slightly and waving a hand to try and clear the air, Andy tried not to reach out and strangle to older man. Keep your cool Andy… Like Miaka said… what does he know?

"Lemme see what I can do…" Mr. Kimoto took Andy's pen and bent over the desk, scribbling in the margins and drawing arrows to where he thought things needed to be switched. "There!" he said proudly, "Now that's what I call a song!"

Andy, feeling as though he were about to lay eyes on something so gruesome that he'd be given nightmares, gulped slightly and took the paper, eyes widening as they skated over the lines. He glanced at his manager and pasted on a fake smile, "Nice… Where so you come up with these things, Sir?" he lied through his teeth. He really didn't want to know.

"It's a gift." The man shrugged and turned to face Andy directly, "By the way, Andy. I have a few things to discuss with you."

"Like what?"

"Oh… like this!" the manager whipped out a newspaper and showed it to Andy. It was the same newspaper that Andy and Miaka had seen yesterday. "Can you explain to me why exactly you have been out gallivanting about with some strange girl _without your body guards?"_

Andy attempted to look sheepish, failing because he truly wasn't sorry in the least, "I met her at the concert last weekend. She's showing me the city."

"How do you know that she's not some psycho chick who wants to tie you up and lock you in her closet?!" Kimoto screeched, his face getting purple, "Or what if someone else were to come up and kidnap you or try to hurt you?" he rolled the paper up and started shaking it in Andy's face, "Kid, you forget who you are sometimes. You are a _star_! People envy and love you all at once! If you aren't careful, something could happen to you and then it'd cost _me_ big bucks!"

_So glad to know that you're worried about me__… Andy thought sardonically. "Everything's always about _money_ with you isn't it?" he said._

"Of course it's about money. What in this world isn't?" the manager yelled, exasperated with how thick-headed Andy was being.

"Love…" the word was out before Andy was even aware of thinking it. Andy stared in shock at himself as he watched Mr. Kimoto's face change from purple and angry to purple and amused.

"Love?" he snorted derisively.

Andy's eyes widened and he nervously pushed some hair back behind his ear. _Did I just say that? Do I really feel that strongly for her? Already? The concept was frightening. He'd known that he was feeling something more than he should so soon after having met Miaka, but even he had not been aware that his feelings already ran that deep. Slowly he nodded._

"_Love?" Kimoto began laughing, sounding like a hyena, "You think that girl _loves_ you?" he slapped his knee and nearly doubled over he was laughing so hard. "You've known her _how_ long? Not even a week? You think she loves _you_? What she loves is your fame. Your _money_." Mean, dark eyes looked at Andy from under bushy brows, "You're a fool."_

Andy took a step back. Kimoto's words had hit him almost as hard as a physical blow. Andy felt suddenly as though he'd had both his legs cut out from beneath him and he could no longer stand. It felt like something from the past had just flown up and bitten him on the leg. But he couldn't remember for the life of him why exactly. He hung onto the back of the chair for support and glared, "That's not true." He hissed, "You don't even _know_ her."

Eyebrows raised, "I don't have to. I bet the thought that she could be scamming you didn't even cross your mind." He shook his head, "I know that song writers are supposed to be suckers for romance… but this is just sad."

Andy scowled, letting his long hair fall forward around his shoulders and shadow his face. He wanted nothing more than to lay a good solid punch right in Kimoto's face, but he knew that if he did, not only would his career be as good as over, but he'd likely end up facing charges from the police. The only option he really had at the moment was to sit and take it.

Andy's eyes darkened as he listened to Kimoto talk. Everything the man said made perfect sense, but something, something that seemed to be connected deep inside of Andy even more so than his own heart, told him that with Miaka he had nothing to worry about. Miaka was the last person on Earth who would scam somebody for money.

As he listened to Kimoto tell him exactly how stupid he had been for believing that this girl could possibly like him for anything but the fact that he was famous and good looking, Andy felt heat start behind his eye lids and he blinked rapidly in order to stop the tears. He would not cry. Especially when Kimoto was _already having a field day._

"Speaking of girls…" Kimoto's voice had changed to the tone he usually used when he was going to ask – order – Andy to do something. "You don't have a date yet for the part this weekend do you?"

Andy growled, "It so happens that I _do_. I asked Miaka to come with me, and she's already agreed to do so."

Kimoto snorted and eyed the pen as he twirled it around his fingers, "Pity. I was actually hoping that you'd take Shiko with you. She's been asking about you a lot recently." He eyed Andy, "You two would make a good couple. Your looks complement each other. You'd make a good advertising pair. It would bring in money."

At the look Andy gave him he grinned lopsidedly, "Well just think about it for me would you? Shiko's been very _upset_ that you've been ignoring her lately." he checked his watch, "And now I really must be off. I'm busy, busy, busy!"

Andy watched the man leave and then sprawled out on the bed, the butchered lyrics still clenched in his hand, the tears that had threatened to spill over earlier finally having permission to fall. He wouldn't believe it. He wouldn't.

Miaka… she wouldn't do that… would she?

Even though Andy hadn't known Miaka that long, there was a voice inside of him that seemed to be literally screaming that it felt very strongly for the girl. It was that voice whispering in his head last night that had helped Andy write the very lyrics lying crumpled in his hand. And it was that voice that was helping Andy to realize as he spent more and more time with her, that he had every reason to love her just as much as the little voice in his head seemed to, and no reason to mistrust her.

Closing his eyes, Andy sighed. It wasn't long before sleep claimed the singer, and sent him into a morning of fitful dreams. He dreamed of an ancient world and a legend. It was one of the realest dreams he'd ever had.

Miaka sang along to the radio as she reached into her purse looking for her keys. "I'm sleeping, I'm right in the middle of a good dream, when all at once I wake up from something that keeps knocking at my brain," she was sure she was horribly off key, but she didn't really care. Instead of her keys, her hand hit a folded piece of paper. Curious, Miaka pulled it out read it. Her lips quirked upwards in a smile. It was a note from Andy asking her out yet again. It said to call him from work if she was interested in going. Feeling like a school girl again, Miaka giggled at how cute Andy could be. It seemed almost like he couldn't live without her.

"Do you think you love me?" she continued, swaying her hips to the music as she set the note on the counter and turned to grab her lunch.

As Miaka bobbed her head to the music, she mused about her first _official date with Andy the night before. She had done it. She had told him that she wanted to pursue a relationship with him. Once she had finally managed to _say_ it, she had felt as though the world's largest weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had felt… free. Like she had nothing to hide and no problems to deal with. _

And of course there had been those little fluttery feelings that seemed to appear every time Andy's hand brushed hers, or when that intense golden gaze locked with hers. Miaka shivered at the thrill that shot up her spine at the thought of seeing him again later today, similar to the shivers he had given her the night before during the movie and during the car ride home. The feeling that permeated her skin with the anticipation of 'is he going to kiss me?' coursing through her blood.

She had been so nervous at first, unsure of how far to let him go and how quickly. She had known him for about as long as she had known Taka, but for all he knew, he'd just met her a few days ago. That being the case, where Miaka was ready to try out a relationship with him, she'd known him long enough to move the relationship faster, she was afraid that Andy, even if he wanted the relationship to move just as quickly, would think that she was easy, or possibly a gold digger that just wanted to be able to say she'd gotten him in the sack.

Because he wasn't _really_ Hotohori anymore was he? Just how much _had_ he changed in this life? From what she'd seen, he was still the sweet man he'd been in the book world, but still… he'd been raised differently, maybe he'd been corrupted by the glamour of the life of a star? Would he just want to use her?

Miaka shook her head. Those were stupid thoughts. How could she even think that of Hotohori? Well… It wasn't like he'd been a _complete_ naïve boy back then either… in fact; he'd even been slightly pushy. Miaka blushed in remembrance of Hotohori leaning in to kiss her as he leaned over her in his chambers.

Nope. He definitely hadn't been all that innocent. (It was just easier to pretend he was!)

So how bad was he going to be now? Modern world + certain magazines + more laid back society rules = trouble. Miaka had the rather disturbing mental image of Hotohori being a player. She shook her head to clear it.

_Okay. Enough thinking. It's bad for my health. Let's get to work!_

The only question Miaka really had at the moment was how the hell Andy was able to keep sneaking things into her purse. The darn thing was attached to her at the hip during most of the day. Then again, in the last few days, so had Andy. So Miaka guessed it would have been fairly easy for him to drop something in her purse when she wasn't looking.

So apparently he was good at slight of hand too.

_Sneaky little…_

**_Ding._**

Miaka's head shot up. Who would be coming to visit at this hour? Her mother and brother were gone, and she would be as well in a few more moments. Thinking that it might be one of her neighbors needing to borrow something, Miaka hurried to the door, flipping off the radio on the way, so she could take care of whatever it was and leave as soon as possible.

"Hello?" Miaka swung the door open.

No one was there.

"Eh…. Hello?" Miaka quickly stuck her head out and glanced down the hallway in both directions. No one.

"Alright…" she muttered to herself. "Darn kids…" she grumbled as she went back inside and closed the door.

After gathering her things, Miaka stepped out the door only to notice a small white square on the ground which she had missed earlier. Shifting everything to one arm, Miaka stooped over and snatched the envelope. Ripping it open with her teeth, she pulled out the letter and flipped open the folded piece of paper.

There, made from the cut-out letters of a magazine, was a note:

aNdy iis miN! Leev him alon. Or Elss.

Not sure whether to laugh at the horrible spelling or be worried (the whole ransom letter thing was just cheesy) Miaka read the note again. "Really…" she muttered. 

_Whoever has the time to stalk famous people and leave other people threatening notes needs to get a life. She thought._

Assuming that one of her younger Andy obsessed neighbors had seen the picture in the paper yesterday and decided to annoy her, Miaka ignored the note completely; taking it as one strange and not really all that funny joke. In fact, she threw the note in the nearest garbage can as she exited the building and went out to her car.

Only to find her tires slashed.

_Crap._

"Thanks Keisuke." Said Miaka as she slid into the car when her brother picked her up from work. "I really appreciate this."

"I still don't believe it." He muttered, "Twice in the same week." He pulled out of the parking lot and watched his sister in his peripheral vision, "What the heck did you do to make the automobile gods so mad at you? Forget to make an offering of motor oil at the weekly ritual?"

Miaka snorted, "Funny." Her brother had been kind enough to take off of his job early so he could come and take her home in time for her date. Yui had dropped her off at the Clinic that morning, and despite the fact that her vehicle was, again, incapacitated, Miaka had a very good day. She had even forgotten all about the threatening note she had received, not that she would have bothered anyone else with such a stupid prank anyway…

Not only had she managed to avoid bathing any labs, poodles, or terriers, but Ayame had been very civil to her. Miaka had been worried after seeing the other girl at the dress shop that Ayame would turn into a catty and jealous person that would enjoy making Miaka's life hell, but the other girl had actually been nice. She had even asked how the date had gone and nodded and smiled throughout Miaka's entire story (of course she left out some of the juicier details for the other girls sanity) and had then told Miaka that she was happy for her.

Now, as Miaka and Keisuke headed home, Miaka wondered exactly how tonight's date was going to turn out. There had been one major thing occupying her mind the entire day. Miaka's overactive imagination had run through at least a thousand different scenarios, all of them concerning the problem of Andy's memories.

Did he remember _anything at all? Miaka mused. If he recalled anything of his former life, the poor man likely thought he'd gone insane or was merely remembering a dream. Miaka had toyed with the idea of setting him down and trying to explain the entire thing to him, but that idea had quickly been discarded, as it was the surest way for Miaka to wind up in the psychiatric center._

And if he didn't remember now, would he ever get his memories back? Part of the reason Miaka had been so happy to find her reincarnated Seishi was that she could have someone else who shared the memories of the book. If he never remembered… Miaka didn't think that she could bear that. She wanted him to know everything, but when would be the right time to tell him?

And when he finally did remember… how would he take the knowledge that he was the reincarnation of Hotohori? Taka had had some serious issues with that fact, she knew. Taka had fought with himself inwardly about who he really was and who Miaka really loved, Taka, or Tamahome. He had been worried that Miaka didn't see them as two different people, and that she would always favor the original over the replacement, as Taka saw it.

Miaka shook her head in remembrance. That had irritated her to no end. To her, Taka had _never been a replacement for Tamahome. He had been Tamahome all along, even if he couldn't accept that fact. He had all the qualities that she had loved about Tamahome; the only thing that separated them was the fact that Taka hadn't done all of the things that Tamahome had done. He had never fought for a country or helped to summon a god. He'd never done anything overly spectacular in his life. And that had seemed to be too much for him. It was like he couldn't conceive the idea that Miaka still loved him for who he was rather than what he'd done. _

It was that kind of thinking that had caused them to grow apart since then. Taka maintained the idea that he had to measure up to his past self, and had spent countless amounts of time desperately trying to do just that. Competing with the ghost of himself. Miaka sighed, leaning her head against the window and watching the lights go by. She hoped that Andy would be more accepting of those kinds of things.

She didn't think she could deal with someone else she cared for so deeply go to war with themselves, not being able to accept the fact that she didn't love him for the fact that he was successful, or did great things, but for the simply being himself, however he chose to live his life.

"Miaka…" Keisuke tapped her on the shoulder, jolting her out of her thoughts, "We're home."

Miaka shook her head and hurried up to the apartment. She still had to shower and get dressed before Andy got here. It wouldn't do to go on a date when she smelled to high heaven. She could just _see_ the angels wrinkling their noses as she passed by.

Andy rocked back and forth nervously on the balls of his feet as he waited for Miaka to answer the door. He'd shown up slightly early, he hoped that she didn't mind, but he had gone an entire _day_ without seeing her, and it had almost literally driven him insane. He had spaced out so often during rehearsals that Mr. Kimoto had had to throw Styrofoam cups at him to get his attention. 

Three times.

Self-consciously he pulled a last minute final check of his appearance. He was wearing his favorite pair of tight-fitting dark jeans, an off-white turtleneck, and a light brown trench coat that he liked to wear on windy days. He secretly liked to play super-hero when the wind made it billow out behind him. 

No. 

Really.

He did.

His hair, his pride and joy, was immaculate, tied back in a loose ponytail that started partway down his back. With his free hand he played with some of the strands that insisted on falling in his face, blowing irately at one on particular that obscured his vision. With his other he held a bouquet of flowers that he had picked up on the way over.

He eyed the flowers. He'd had no idea what kind of flowers that Miaka would have a liking for, and so he had gone around to search out the ones he had thought suited her personality. An elderly woman had seen him looking about helplessly and had immediately offered her assistance. She had asked him the situation and a bit about Miaka's personality before she began leading him around the store, rattling off the names of flowers.

"You want one of these… this…. Oh! Several of these…" fairly soon, Andy had ended up with a few daffodils, three or four Hyacinths, a bunch of lilac, and of course, some deep red long stem roses in various stages of bloom.

"Now… why do I need all of these?" Andy had asked.

The woman had smirked and pointed to each of the flowers, "Daffodils; symbolize love, and luck." She eyed Andy, "I can see you care for this girl already, but I thought you could use the luck. Just in case." She pointed to the Hyacinths, "Love, protection, and happiness. All three are good things, don't you agree?"

Andy nodded dumbly. _Kooky old bat…_

"Lilac; beauty, love, and protection. Always a safe bet." Her eyes narrowed, "I don't have to tell you what the roses symbolize, now do I?"

Andy shook his head, "No… I think I can figure that out on my own." He fingered the blooms in the bouquet, "thank you Ma'am. You've been a big help."

The old woman smiled and handed Andy another set of flowers, "here. Take these too."

"What are they?"

She grinned, "Zinnia, Periwinkle, and Poppy."

Andy was stopped from wondering about those particular flowers meanings when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door. He gulped nervously and clutched the flowers tightly. He really hoped she liked them…

The door swung open.

Andy blinked.

"You're not Miaka."

Keisuke blinked back at Andy.

"No. I'm not."

Keisuke stepped aside and motioned for Andy to enter, closing the door behind him. He crossed his arms as he watched the reincarnation of his sisters Seishi standing there, looking every inch the royal figure that he had heard so much about from his sister.

He cleared his throat and walked over to sit down in one of the chair in the living room, motioning for Andy to follow him. "So… you must be Andy. Miaka's told me a lot about you." Keisuke propped his head up with his hand as he watched Andy take a seat on the couch.

He knew that this was Hotohori, and, truthfully, Keisuke trusted the guy with his little sister's life, however; what he wasn't sure about was trusting the guy with his little sister on a date. He recalled that the Emperor had been in love with Miaka even longer than Tamahome had been, and Keisuke was slightly worried that all of that past pent up emotion and frustration would attempt to make itself known if given half the chance.

So now… Keisuke had to do something that he had never done before in his life. Something that he'd actually missed not being able to do since Miaka had never dated anyone but Taka.

He was going to interrogate Andy.

Keisuke took a deep breath. Miaka was still in the shower, so he estimated that he had about ten to fifteen minutes to do his dirty work before she would make her appearance and drop kick him out of the apartment.

Here it goes.

"You do realize that Miaka is my baby sister, right?" he asked.

Andy nodded.

"I realize that you two have only known each other for a couple of days, but I feel that there are some things that you should know." Keisuke steepled his fingers, and Andy leaned forward in his seat as he gave Miaka's brother his full attention.

"Such as…?" Andy asked, curious as to what exactly Miaka hadn't told him yet. 

Keisuke sighed, "I'm gonna tell you right now that I'm a little iffy about you dating my sister." At Andy's offended look, Keisuke continued, "I'm not saying that you're a bad guy or anything like that, it's just that… "He paused and stared at some of the photographs that sat on a table not too far away, "In all of the years that she and Taka have been together, I have never _once_ had any doubts that Taka was the one for her." He eyed Andy, "And then _you came along."_

Although Andy remained poker-faced, Keisuke could see the obvious hurt at this information shining in the other man's eyes. He felt horrible that he had to be the one to do this, but he felt that it was kind of unfair for Andy to go into the relationship without any prior knowledge of where Miaka and Taka stood with each other.

"First off, Taka is my friend, and he and my sister have been together since she was fifteen. She's never dated anyone but him." Keisuke began, "And because of that, I'm going to have a hard time trusting anyone else alone with my sister. This is kind of a new thing for me."

Andy inwardly scowled at Keisuke. Talk about your great conversation starters. If the guy wanted to make an enemy, this was a pretty good way to start. Although, Andy could see it from Keisuke's point of view, he was going to drill Andy because he cared about his little sister. In the midst of all the annoyance that the situation was currently causing him, Andy was beginning to have a very deep respect for Miaka's brother. "So what you're saying is that Miaka has such a deep connection with this guy that I have literally no chance in Hell of her actually dropping him and committing to a relationship with me?"

Keisuke shook his head furiously, "No, that's not what I mean. That's probably how it sounded, but I told you all of that so that you could get a better perspective on what I'm trying to tell you. Like I said, she's dated Taka for a very long time. I seriously thought that he'd be the guy she married." Keisuke sighed, "You have no idea how much pain even some of their minor arguments caused her. She's never been the smartest, and she knows that, and other people tend to exploit that and use it to cut down her self esteem. So when something happens, Miaka tends to blame herself for it even if there's nothing she could have done to prevent it."

"Alright." Andy nodded slowly to show he was trying to digest all of this information.

"Anyways, as you know, she told Taka that she wanted to cool it for a while in order to sort out her feelings. She's never had to do that before. I mean, they've taken little breaks here and there, but they've never seriously had to consider where their feelings for the other lie. To have Miaka actually be sure enough about another man to actually call a time out with Taka is… phenomenal. She's _never done that before." Keisuke took a breath and sighed deeply, what he was about to say was completely at odds with his wanting Miaka and Taka to have the happily ever after ending, "And… I want you to realize that that in itself means that she is pretty serious about this already." Keisuke's eyes locked with Andy's, wanting to see the other man's reaction, "About you."_

Andy's heart gave an unnatural lurch at Keisuke's words, suddenly the entire conversation made sense. Keisuke hadn't been telling him all of this in order to make him think he had no chance, just the opposite. "You think so?" Suddenly, all the resentment for Keisuke that had been building up inside Andy's chest seemed to evaporate.

Keisuke nodded solemnly, "I know so."

"Know what?"

Both Andy and Keisuke jumped out of their skins at Miaka's question. Keisuke felt his heart thud painfully in his chest. Good grief! She'd scared him near to death!

Had she heard anything? He desperately hoped not. Better cover it up.

With a nervous laugh, Keisuke jumped out of his seat and yanked Andy up out of his, wrapping an arm around him like a good friend, "_LIKE_ I was saying Andy… that's my baby sister. And you _remember_ what we talked about buddy, because if you hurt her, you remember these words." Keisuke lowered his voice and leaned in real close to Andy so that only they could hear what he was going to say next. His eyes holding a dark message, _If you break her heart after everything she's given up in order to try and see if this will work, you're dead. "I've got _no_ problem going back to prison."_

With that, Keisuke released Andy and snatched up his keys, laughing manically as Miaka shooed him towards the front door, swatting him viciously when he didn't move fast enough. Andy remained where he was, wondering what kind of drugs the man was on. The boy certainly didn't _look_ like a criminal… but he was obviously insane!

Miaka laughed nervously as she swatted repeatedly at Keisuke's back, "Don't mind him. He was dropped on his head as a child. Never recovered. _Complete idiot. He doesn't know what he's saying. EVER!" Miaka scowled as she ushered her brother out the door and slammed it shut behind him._

"Is he… _always like that?" asked Andy, deadpan and slightly worried. If that kind of behavior was genetic… Miaka must be scarier than _Satan_ when she wanted to be._

"Unfortunately, yes." Miaka sighed closed her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see…" she trailed off, searching for the right word to describer her brother, "that." She finished, jerking her head in the direction that Keisuke had gone in.

Andy laughed lightly, reaching out and wrapping an arm around Miaka in a kind of sideways hug. He hadn't seen her or heard her voice all day long, and now that he was finally in the same room with her, alone, his Miaka-deprived senses were screaming at him to get as close as possible and remedy the situation. Immediately. 

"It's alright, we talked and he gave me the typical 'hurt my sister and I shall burn you at the stake' speech. It was kind of sweet really." Andy used the arm lying across Miaka's shoulders to bring her closer to him and rested his forehead against hers; staring into eyes that he had been envisioning in his minds eyes the entire day. As he did so he realized that that probably wasn't the best idea because once he did, it seemed that the rest of his body was screaming for contact with her. Still trying to keep the conversation light, he continued, "My older brothers did it to both my younger sisters every time they brought a new boyfriend home." 

Miaka giggled, "Did you ever try and scare your sisters dates away?" she asked as she allowed him to wrap his arms loosely around her waist and simply hold her as they stood there in the middle of her family's apartment.

"Nah… I was the sweet younger brother… and I was always too scrawny to be very threatening," he admitted, sounding slightly put out that he wasn't very intimidating. 

"Ah," Miaka laughed, "I bet." She winced slightly when Andy playfully pinched her side for agreeing to the 'scrawny' part. "Oww…"

Andy grinned and tugged her closer so that she was pressed right up against him and nuzzled her cheek as he whispered, "You're not supposed to agree to things like that… you'll get in trouble."

Miaka wrapped her arms around his neck, "What kind of trouble?" she gazed into his eyes, her green orbs sparkling, daring him to follow through on his threat.

Golden eyes narrowed at the challenge, "I won't give you your present, for one." He smirked slightly when her eyes sparked at the word 'present.'

"What kind of present?" she asked, frowning slightly, an idea forming in her mind and not liking what her overactive imagination came up with.

Andy allowed her to pull back and produced the long forgotten bouquet from the cushion next to where he'd been sitting during his conversation with Keisuke. When Miaka caught sight of all the different blooms her heart skipped a beat and she involuntarily let out a small gasp. It had been forever since she had received flowers.

"Oh…" her lips stretched out into a full grin, "Thank you! They're beautiful." She brought the flowers to her nose and inhaled before holding them out at a certain length in order to examine them.

"Wow… you really went to town…. What's the occasion?" she asked, fingering one of the roses and looking up at him curiously.

"No reason. I just… felt like buying you something." Since you spoiled my dress idea… "Why?"

Miaka shrugged, "I haven't received flowers in a very very long time, and the last few times that I did, it was for some sort of special occasion. You know, like anniversary, birthday…" she trailed off and looked down at them again, "It's kind of nice to know that you were thinking about me and wanted to do something for me without any real incentive." She blushed and started towards the kitchen in order to find a vase to place them in before they started to wilt.

From the kitchen, Miaka called out, "Hey! You hungry?"

"Yeah." He answered as he entered the kitchen just in time to see Miaka finish arranging the flowers.

"Good, because I forced Keisuke to buy all sorts of stuff for us." She grinned and set the flowers on the counter, "So we've got a ton of sandwich stuff and a hoard of junk food laying around." She reached into a cupboard and pulled out some paper plates and a pair of glasses. "Hope you don't mind eating in." she said.

"No. No, of course not. Why would I mind?"

Miaka felt her face heat, "Well, it's just that the last few times we've gone out we've gone to restaurants and that's the kind of stuff you're used to." She grinned, "And technically you asked me out tonight so it's really your right to pick where we go, but I was just really hoping we could stay in and watch movies and talk tonight."

Andy grinned right back at her, "That's absolutely perfect."

"So what do you want to do, Miaka?" Andy asked.

The two had made themselves sandwiches and filled their plates with various junk foods before settling down on the couch and flicking the television on, even though neither of them paid it any attention. They had spent the last hour or so getting to know each other better. 

While at first glance Andy and Miaka were two polar opposites, the two had found that they had more in common than many people would have thought. For instance, both Miaka and Andy loved to read. They both held a very strong love for fantasy series and the possibility of magic and supernatural occurrences. Andy had found that Miaka was remarkably easy to talk to and that for being what her brother had described a 'ditz' had a wide variety of hobbies and was quite knowledgeable about things that she found of interest. Miaka had discovered that Andy was not quite as prissy as one would think. He loved a variety of sports, his favorites being sword play and horseback riding, but Miaka had learned that he also had spent time playing soccer and football with his brothers and quite enjoyed martial arts as well.

"You mean when I get a _real_ job?" Miaka asked. At his nod she pursed her lips in thought and stared off to the side. "I don't know. I like a lot of things. I'm not really sure what exactly I'll end up doing." She cracked her knuckles and stretched, a movement that caused Andy's eyes to roam to what lay beneath the soft blue sweater before snapping back up to her face guiltily. "What did you want to be?" she asked, her voice coming out in a near purr with her stretch.

Andy gulped. Did she know what she was doing to him? He was more than ready to kiss her, but something sitting on the end table behind where Miaka sat on the other end of the couch caught his eye. Curiosity overcame him, "Hey," he said, leaning forward and reach past Miaka to grasp a single framed photograph, "Who're these people?" he looked up at Miaka and frowned. He couldn't quite name the expression that crossed her face. 

Looking back down at the picture, Andy's thumb absently traced the face of what was obviously a younger Miaka. He guessed she looked about fifteen or so. Blinking a few times in order to clear his head of the rush of images that came along with the sight of the photo. All of the faces looked very familiar. So familiar that Andy felt almost as if he could name them all off without any trouble, only when he tried to find said names it felt as thought a wall had been erected down the center of his brain. The answer was there, he was sure of it. He just couldn't get to it. "Who are they?" he asked again.

Miaka's lips moved, but no sound came out. Why, oh why hadn't she hidden that thing? "Eh…" she blinked, trying to think of a plausible answer to give him. "That's a picture that was taken when I was fifteen." She started, her mind starting to weave a story and log it away for future recollection.

She pointed to each of the faces in the picture, "That's Taka, right around when I first met him. We weren't officially going together here." Her eyes trained on his as he stared hard at the photo. She could almost see him trying to recall the names of the other people in it.

"These are some of my old high school friends. I haven't seen them in a while." She lied. This," she pointed to Nuriko, "Is Ryuenn. That," she pointed to Chichiri, "Is Houjun…" she continued this process until she got to the last one, "And that," she pointed to Hotohori, "Is Seihitei." She grinned slightly, "He looks a lot like you, ne?"

She saw something, some sort of flicker, pass through Andy's eyes as he gazed upon the photo, but as soon as it had appeared, it was gone, and Andy was speaking.

"Are you kidding? I'm _much_ better looking!"

Miaka nearly choked on her drink. "Are you sure about that? You look pretty alike to me!" she gasped, trying to blink back tears caused by her choking, and the effort it was taking not to laugh.

_Does he really think he looks better than himself? Now that_ is a level of narcissism I didn't even know _existed_!__

"So what happened to them?" he asked innocently.

Miaka suddenly lost all humor. "Eh… well…" she bit her lip. "Some of them aren't… alive any more."

Andy closed his eyes, feeling horrible that he'd reminded her of something she so obviously wished to forget. "I'm sorry." He whispered, handing her the photograph back and trying to think of somewhere else the conversation could go, but something in the back of his mind forced him to ask his next question. "How?"

Miaka looked up at him and sighed. There was really no way around it. She'd have to tell him something at least. She stayed silent for a few moments, attempting to gather her thoughts enough to try and tweak the story enough for it to sound modern and believable.

By the time she was finished telling the incredibly summarized, extremely tweaked version of the story, Miaka was amazed at how good of a liar she was turning out to be. She hated to have to lie about how her friends had really died, but she didn't really have that much of a choice at the moment.

"And the other two I haven't seen for a few years." She finished, amazed at herself for having managed to tell (almost) the whole story and keeping it so that it seemed like a really horrible version of a school rivalry that had escalated out of control. _Hand me my Oscar now…_ she thought idly as she watched Andy take in all of the information and process it.

Wow. Andy thought. He'd had no idea how much this girl had been through. Keisuke had hinted at it, and have been very adamant about his sister not needing more grief in her life, but now Andy could see just how true that was. Now Andy could finally understand why Miaka had approached the relationship with him the way that she had. She had obviously been though more than enough pain emotionally over the years and had wanted to spare herself and him as much pain as possible by not allowing herself to get involved with him and trying to push him away because of that.

No wonder her brother had wanted things to work out between Miaka and Taka so badly. After all of that… Andy couldn't even fathom it. Although during Miaka's story he had felt a heat begin to spread throughout his body, starting at the left side of his neck underneath his collar. He had put it off to the cloth being itchy and had ignored it in favor of trying to comfort Miaka when she reached the parts where she had to recount one of her companion's deaths. She had cried during all of them, and Andy had nearly felt like crying himself. 

Her story had seemed to forge an almost empathic bond between the two of them and it was all he could do to just hold her when she started crying, trying to tell her that it was all right and that he was here and that nothing would ever hurt her again as long as he had anything to say about it. He had been undeniably puzzled when his saying this only served to make her cry even harder and bury her face in his chest and wrap her arms solidly around his waist as she let out all of her pent up grief and frustration.

Andy sighed as he shifted, Miaka lying silently in his arms, her own still locked securely around his middle. Absently he stroked her hair with one hand, rubbing her back gently with the other, and murmured nonsensical comforting phrases into her ear before he too fell silent and simply held her, staring at the picture from where she had placed it back on the end table.

Four pairs of eyes stared back at him. For a moment, Andy could almost hear them telling him that he'd better take care of Miaka or they would spend the next few years of the afterlife haunting him. Andy rubbed his face against the top of her head, a fierce send of protectiveness suddenly overcoming him. _You don't have to worry about that. I'll take care of her. He promised darkly, swearing doom on anyone that would try and do his Miaka harm._

"You never did answer me." She said suddenly, turning her head so that he could look into her tear stained eyes. Andy was nearly blinded by the brightness of the soul that shone through them. It was a spirit that would never give up. One that could not be beaten, even by the pain and loss caused by death. Even though her eyes were red and puffy and her makeup had run with the tears, Andy didn't think he'd ever seen a woman look more beautiful than Miaka did at that moment. 

"Answered what?" he asked lazily, his fingers still amusing themselves by twining in Miaka's dark hair and running up and don her back slowly.

"What did you want to do before you became a singer?"

Andy blinked. "Well… It was never really so much what I wanted to be. It was what my parents wanted me to be."

Miaka frowned, "Whaddya mean?"

He sighed, "My parents always wanted me to be a lawyer, or a politician, and I went along with it even though that was never what I wanted to do. Never mind the fact that I hated it… my parents told me that the only way to get ahead in the world was to do something that made money even if you hated it, because money is what makes the world go around." He sighed, "I used to get lectured to no end about the best way to live my life and what to do with my future. I never even got to decorate my own bedroom when I was younger. Mother insisted on doing everything for me."

Miaka's eyes were starting to spark again, "Didn't she care about whether you were happy or not?"

Andy sighed again, "Well… in her own way I suppose she cared about my happiness. Her definition of happy was that my father brought home a paycheck and she got to spend it and be taken care of. So for her being happy was being able to live a comfortable life, and that took money, so by trying to make be start a big career I guess she thought she was being caring…" he trailed off. He couldn't explain his mother. He doubted anyone truly understood her. "In any case, I never really got to think much about what I wanted for myself because I was too busy trying to live up to what others had already decided for me."

"But that's not _right!" Miaka burst out; "Your happiness should always come first, even if it doesn't make you rich!" she scrunched up her nose in thought, "What's that phrase again? Quality, not quantity?" she shook her head, "So you went from a controlling mother, to an equally controlling boss. So tell me again how you are getting the better end of the deal in any of this?"_

Andy shifted and stared into Miaka's eyes, amused by how passionate she was getting over his predicament. Andy had learned to live with it by now. He knew that you didn't always get what you wanted, and if you did, there would likely be a catch or two. Lifting the hand that had been stroking her back, Andy cupped Miaka's cheek and lowered his voice to a husky whisper, "Well… I've got you, don't I?"

He was pleased when he felt Miaka's body shiver in response to his voice and closed the gap between their lips quickly.

Before Miaka even knew what was happening, she found herself trapped once again in the safety of Andy's arms and sighed against his lips as he pulled back. She was disappointed that it hadn't lasted longer and rested her chin on his shoulder, staring at him for a few seconds before speaking.

"You can't distract me that easily." She said, poking him lightly in the side and narrowing her eyes, "So out with it. What do you want? Why don't you stand up to Mr. Kimoto and tell him what you want to do? Can't you get a new manager? You said he's not doing his job, didn't you?"

Andy sighed. He would really much rather continue with certain extracurricular activities, "Truthfully?" he asked, and Miaka nodded, wanting to know why exactly Andy continued to allow himself to be pushed around by people. Miaka would never stand for that, and she didn't understand why Andy did.

"Well…" he started, "Truthfully, I'd give everything I have up if I could just find that one person that I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"So, true love?" Miaka said, twining her fingers with his and feeling her cheeks get hot. She listened quietly as he explained his boarding school days and how his parents had never really been around much and he'd never stayed in one place long enough to make any real lasting friendships. He had met countless girls, and they had all liked him for one shallow reason or another, either because of his money or because of his looks. After years of being virtually alone, Andy had begun to dream of the perfect girl and wondering if such a person even existed. He loved to sing, but in order to keep doing what he loved; he sometimes had to bend to what other wanted him to do.  

Andy sighed, "But what I really want someday is a family. A wife that loves me and kids that will be able to grow up to be what they want to be. I want what I never really had." He was slightly embarrassed to be admitting all of this, but this was Miaka, and it seemed that he could tell her anything and she would be completely understanding. She had never once laughed at him or tried to tell him what he should want. He had the feeling that she was the kind of person who would support someone she cared about even if they wanted to take a cardboard box, set it up in an alley, and live there.

As he finished speaking, Miaka felt something similar to the feeling one gets before a race, like all her blood was excited and her heart was beating unnaturally fast. "How will you know when you find it?" she asked, hoping the look in her eyes betraying the myriad of emotions that were bouncing around inside of her.

Andy brought his face closer to hers and smiled, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers once again, "Trust me. I'll know." He assured her.

To Be Continued…

AN: Oi! This chapter was originally planned to be, like, twice as long, but it was getting so godawfully long that I had to cut it here. Sorry! But it would have been like sisty pages long if I'd kept going… And I figured you guys had been patient enough. I also apologize for there being so little action in this chapter. But this very long drawn out talking session had to happen sometime or another, it might as well happen now dangit! Oh yeah. BTW. I recently posted an Inu-Yasha fic with an OC based off of one of the kennel girls (Rae!) and I was hoping that if any of you are IY fans that I could get you to read it and review, because it's my first OC fic in a great while (haha, you shall nevah see the others… *shifty eyes*) and I'm curious to know how well I did on throwing her in there and keeping her as far away from a Mary Sue as possible. I'd REALLY appreciate any input you'd be willing to give me because I'm desperate and needy. If you recognize it, it's 'cuz it's MY version of my buddy Arcane Legacy's fic Change My World. Her fic never went as into detail of the thought process as I'd have liked, and never explained a few key things. This is my way of fixing it. (Sorry Arcy… don't step on me!!)


	9. Revelations 2 Less talk, more action

AN: This chapter has been edited, I feel that it flows a lot more smoothly now, and it no longer bothers me. I would like to extend my thanks and eternal gratitude to both KittyLynne and Kourin for both taking the time to beta-read and edit this chapter for me. I would have gotten nowhere without them.

Also… take note of the change of chapter title… it fits better than the former one I believe. :D Hehe. Also… Do I have to make a billboard? PLEASE READ "CHANGE MY WORLD" AND REVIEW IT! I NEED FEEDBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanna know how I did with an OC that's not a BG character!! (And Sesshoumaru's personality…) *stamps foot* FEEDBACK! I demand it!! Well… or I could grovel, but or the moment, I prefer to demand!

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 9: Revelations part 2 – A little less talk, a lot more action.

(ignore the pun!!)

Yumiko Kaze

Miaka could feel herself blushing from her nose to her feet at the suggestion in Andy's words. Her chest had a funny tickle inside it, and she squirmed under the intense golden gaze. She felt like a fish under glass with the way he was staring so deeply into her eyes; it seemed like he could see straight through her.

"Well, when you find what you're looking for, you'll have to tell me." She said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

_I already have…_ Is what Andy _wanted_ to say. He also wanted nothing more than to relieve the growing need to have her lips pressed against his, and the avid desire to wrap his arms around her. But…something held him back. He wasn't sure if it was because some part of him wanted to give her some space after the emotional trip down memory lane she had just taken, or if he subconsciously wanted _her_ to be the one to make the next move. Thus far, he had been the one making all of the advances and the thought kept niggling at the back of his mind that if Miaka was truly serious about continuing their relationship, she was going to have to become comfortable with kissing him, as well as the other way around.

He hoped to God she wouldn't disappoint him.

Miaka was so flustered, she couldn't make herself meet Andy's eyes. She had the urge to go ahead and kiss him, but an attack of shyness held her back. It also didn't help that the other half of her mind kept replaying what Andy had said- and what he _hadn't_ said. 

He'd told her that he'd know when he found what he was looking for. That hadn't been what made her feel so flustered though, it had been the look in his eyes that said that he already knew what he wanted and that he was prepared to go to quite fantastic lengths to get it. So did that mean he was talking about _her_? 

A slight shiver ran up her spine as she thought of how possessive and how sweet Andy was capable of being. Memories of the night in the courtyard came flooding back and she sighed. Even though she fully realized that he had the potential to be violent, she knew Andy, because she knew Hotohori, would _never_ hurt her, no matter what, and  that he would do anything to secure her happiness, even at the cost of his own.

In the book, he had given up on vying for her heart because he had seen how much she loved Tamahome, and had stepped aside solely for her sake. It had caused him great pain, Miaka knew, but she had some relief in knowing that perhaps that pain had been eased with his marriage to Houki. However, Miaka had never truly forgiven herself for breaking his heart, and she still partially blamed herself for his death. She had caused him such pain and suffering, and yet he had never stopped caring, had never stopped loving her.

She wasn't going to let history repeat itself this time around. Not any of it. If she had anything to say about it, Andy Wong was going to live to be the happiest man alive, and he was going to live until he was old and bald. Well, on second thought… maybe he wouldn't want to live _that _long. (Not the hair!)

A light touch on her face snapped Miaka back to reality. Startled, she blinked like a deer in the headlights at Andy. She wanted to kiss him, but her heart was beating frantically, like it was trying to beat its way out of her chest. She swallowed nervously; he couldn't _hear_ it beating could he? Then again… maybe that's what was with the insufferably smug look he had on his face. He had to know exactly what he was doing to her! 

Andy, for his part, seemed to be content with allowing her to lean against him, as he stared into her eyes with an intensity that almost burned. A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot from her chest straight down to her abdomen, jump starting a wave of heat which spread slowly to the rest of her body, every nerve ending within it demanding closer proximity to whatever source was producing the pleasurable sensations. Miaka unconsciously moistened her lips as her face crept closer to his, all of her senses on high alert. She could hear his sharp intake of breath and saw his golden eyes darken and dart to her mouth, even as his own lips parted slightly in anticipation. A feeling akin to being caught naked assailed her; Miaka pried her eyes away from her goal for an instant, unwilling to allow Andy to read her as easily as he usually seemed to be able to do.

Then, gathering up the pieces of courage which had scattered the moment he had given her _that look_, Miaka took hold of the hand that Andy had gently laid upon her cheek and intertwined her fingers with his. Still extremely nervous, she slowly moved closer to him, only to stop again a hairs breadth away from his lips. If she kissed Andy, she realized, it would mean something monumental. As many times as he had kissed her, she had never before initiated contact, and it seemed that to do so would be crossing a line to a place from which she would never be able to return.

But she wanted this.

By closing her eyes and sending a silent prayer to her patron god, Miaka finally succeeded in getting close enough to Andy to lightly brush her lips against his. She was surprised that she had never before noticed how silky soft and how warm they were, (maybe because this time her senses were stretched to capacity.) She pulled away slightly and then returned, pressing her mouth to his with a bit more confidence. She was just about to pull back once again when she felt Andy begin to respond, his lips sensuously pushing against hers, as a noise of pleasure came from deep in his throat. In her heightened state of awareness, the sound caused the slow fire that was kindling in Miaka's stomach to flare as though a can of kerosene had just been dumped on it.

Thrilled, but also a little afraid of the intense sensations now coursing through her gut, Miaka lips met his only briefly before she tried to distance herself from temptation- only to have Andy's hand, which had somehow ended up on the back of her head, hold her in place. A small gasp escaped her, and her eyes flew open to gaze into pools of molten bronze. 

Andy took full advantage of her surprise to slip his tongue inside Miaka's mouth and explore to his heart's content. She murmured something incoherent into his mouth, then instinctively brought a hand up to try and push him away. Instead, her fingers curled into the front of his turtleneck and her eyelids drifted shut as he deepened the kiss. Andy's own eyes slipped shut as he took advantage of the situation, slanting his mouth over hers time and time again, vastly pleased with the way she slowly melted under his attentions. 

As he kissed her, he allowed himself a mental shout of euphoric glee. Miaka had finally kissed him! Though she had been quite a willing participant whenever he kissed her, she had until now never been the one to instigate anything, which had given him doubts as to if he was wanted…but no longer. He found himself feeling both immensely grateful and glad that she had taken the pressure off for him. 

The kiss that he had intended to be fairly short and sweet had quickly spiraled into much more. Andy felt like he had a hummingbird trapped inside his rib cage as he gently shifted their positions, prodding Miaka ever so slowly until she was laying across his lap with her head pillowed comfortably on the armrest, while he stretched out diagonally across the couch. He kept himself propped up slightly, and the hand that was cupping her cheek slid downward until it rested lightly on her waist. He leaned over her, continuing to explore her with his lips, teeth, and tongue.

Miaka played with the glossy strands of hair that spilled over Andy's shoulders, glorying in the silky feel of it as she allowed the rest of her senses to drown in the kiss. All too soon, however, her over-stimulated mind kicked in once again, refusing to let its thought processes be distracted from urgent matters. Once again, Miaka began to debate with herself whether or not she should try and tell Andy about his being the reincarnation of her Seishi. Again, she discarded the idea, deciding that it would be best for him to remember on his own; hearing it from someone else … well. It just wouldn't work in the present circumstances. Now if they were suddenly carted off by a Nyan-Nyan or two, or anything else that was so obviously magical were to occur, _then_ she would be allowed to just flat out tell him, for she would be left with no other choice.

She was also still unsure what to think of what Andy had said earlier. She couldn't deny that it had been a very sweet thing to say, (and this was assuming that he meant what she thought he did) but it had also… scared her a little, knowing that he felt _so_ strongly for her in such a short amount of time. If you over thought what he'd said, which Miaka's mind had a bad habit of doing at times (when it under thought in others!) it implied that he already felt strongly enough about her that he would consider dropping his career and marrying her. Or at the very least he wanted to see her as part of his life for a very long time.

Which completely blew her out of the water.

Because she'd known Andy for less than a week.

How long had she been dating Taka?

Had Taka ever considered dropping his precious career and marrying her? (After all, they'd been engaged for a while now.)

No.

Not that she really _wanted_ either of them to entirely give up their dreams for her, but all the same, just the simple fact that Andy was _willing_ to do so made him all the more endearing and… just plain loveable. 

Did the man have _no_ flaws?

At last, Andy lifted his head. He smiled tenderly, and then lightly kissed the tip of Miaka's nose as they tried to catch their breath, each content to be alone with their own thoughts for the moment. He shifted slightly and settled Miaka more solidly against him, pleased that she had been comfortable enough to actually kiss him, and even more pleased that he was now two-hundred percent sure that Mr. Kimoto had been dead wrong about Miaka; the girl didn't have a devious bone in her body…

A body which Andy was _very_ interested in getting to know a whole lot better at present. 

His eyes flicked downward towards the girl resting comfortably in the nook of his arm. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, then closed his eyes again as he placed light kisses down Miaka's jaw line, aiming for the soft , creamy arch of her throat. He was almost there…

"Andy?"

_Damn._

"Yes?" He asked, only half listening. He continued on, and trailed his lips over her neck, which caused her to giggle and turn her head in such a way that his mouth couldn't connect with her skin. He pouted, and let out a boyish sound of disappointment.

Feminine chuckles abruptly faded to silence. Miaka now looked, Andy mused, as though she was trying to think of what to say… or perhaps it was that she was gathering enough courage to say what she wanted. Andy squeezed the hand that he still held to give her some reassurance, and she smiled slightly.

 "You said you're looking for what you want in life…" As she paused, and Andy nodded encouragingly, even though unsure of where she was going with this. "Well…I was thinking that …" she hesitated again, her face reddening, and Andy suddenly understood that in spite of her bold actions, Miaka was feeling shy. He gave the hand he held another gentle squeeze, and she finished in a rush. "Until you find what you're looking for, you've got me."

A wide smile lit Andy's face, and he nearly smothered her with his next kiss. His hand moved with ease through her hair while the other traveled over her arm and side, seeming to follow a map that only they knew how to read. He smiled against Miaka's lips as she jumped when he hit a ticklish spot, the movement sending a thrill up his own spine with her movement. Just to be bad, he squeezed the spot again and laughed as she twitched violently underneath him, swatting him with her free hand and giving him a slightly evil look that was laced with traces of humor.

"Sorry… couldn't resist…" he grinned sheepishly as she rolled her eyes and experimentally jabbed him in the side with her index finger, her eyes flashing triumphantly as he twitched, his body convulsing almost as badly as hers had, though he tried to hide it.

"I bet…" she muttered, laughing when he poked her once again. A glint of pure evil appeared in his golden eyes when he jabbed her yet a third time, this time around eliciting a high-pitched squeak that sounded like a puppy that had gotten its foot stepped on. Immediately, his fingers drove into her ribs as she writhed and squirmed underneath him, laughing the entire time between squeaks.

Eventually, Miaka managed to get her feet up and between her and Andy, using her legs as a sort of shield while trying to swat his hands away from her sides and middle and neck and knees…. God, why did she have to be so ticklish? Her stomach ached from laughing so hard, and she was sure the neighbors were going to call the Humane Society to report animal abuse if she kept up the squeaking. However, regardless of how hard she tried, Andy's hands somehow continued to find their way to her middle. 

Finally, Miaka rolled backwards off the couch and snatched a throw pillow from one of the chairs, "That's it…" she panted, "You are _so_ dead."

Andy smirked, raising an eyebrow and reaching for his own pillow. "Are you sure? I've never lost a fight in my life." He boasted, flipping his hair rather comically before standing and looking his opponent up and down with an air of a practiced warrior. "And besides… I'm bigger than you!"

With that he launched himself at his much smaller nemesis, hair flying behind him and a gleeful look in his eye. Miaka shrieked and dodged, swatting blindly with her pillow before retreating to the other side of the couch and backing toward the kitchen. 

Andy skidded to a halt and watched her retreat into the kitchen. His eyes flicked over to the doorway that opened up next to the hallway and grinned. He was rather enjoying their little chase and he couldn't help but feel almost like a hunter on the trail of an extremely elusive prey.

Miaka panted as she darted toward the other door. She was sure that Andy would follow her any second now. She felt her heart pound with adrenaline and felt it spike when she heard a floorboard creak, she darted out the door and glanced around quickly.

Looks like she had just made it. Now she could get to the other side of the couch and…

She was knocked to the floor. Before she knew it, Andy had her pinned down with one hand holding both of her wrists above her head while the other was mercilessly attacking her stomach. She giggled inanely for a few moments; her face getting redder and redder from the lack of oxygen before Andy finally took pity on her and stopped.

Coughing, Miaka sat up and half-heartedly swatted Andy in the chest. "That was not," cough, "_fair_." She griped, smiling the entire time.

Andy grinned, "All's fair in love and war…" he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head, his heart and soul overflowing with what could only be described as pure unadulterated love. Something that Andy hadn't been aware that he was capable of feeling.

And suddenly it hit him.

He wasn't going to be here for very much longer. In less than a week, that feeling would be ripped from him as he left Tokyo, as cruelly as if it were his own beating heart.

The realization of that hit him like a freight train. Unconsciously his arms tightened around Miaka.

What day was it? Wednesday?

Andy felt something inside his chest constrict, and with it shrank the hope that had been allowed to grow, thinking that he had at last found something worth living for. 

_Four days._

He had four days left.

Less than that really, considering that most of that was going to be spent working.

And then he would be gone.

And Miaka…

She'd be left in Tokyo.

Alone… with Taka.

That thought made Andy's nose wrinkle as if he'd smelled stale milk.

That… couldn't happen. No, it wouldn't be _allowed_. 

Andy had just had the most incredible four days of his life. He had felt that he was truly living when he was with Miaka. She challenged him to be his own person at any cost and he had slowly been rising to meet that. It was the thought of seeing her face that day that had given Andy the strength to even get up these last few days. And every moment without her seemed as bleak and cold as an arctic winter day.

To even try and imagine or remember what a world without Miaka in it had been was… impossible. Try as he might, Andy simply could not see himself going back to a life without Miaka in it. He had known from the first night he had met her that she was the kind of girl that could change a mans life without ever even trying. Andy found himself to be no exception. He would never be the same with or without her.

Miaka's giggles subsided as she felt Andy suddenly become dead serious. She craned her neck around to look at him and blinked. "Andy, what's wrong?" She asked, worried at the pale and stricken expression on his face.

"I'll be leaving Tokyo this weekend…" he whispered, feeling as though now that he had said the words made the fact all the more real and Andy felt his heart sink with that realization. "After the farewell concert… we'll be going to Osaka. This tour is promotional," he swallowed, holding her tightly and wishing that he could somehow superglue her right where she was, "we'll be going all over the world." He looked at her, an infinite sadness and regret shining there. "I won't be returning to Tokyo for a very long time."

Miaka felt her heart drop to her feet. **_No Andy?_**_ Of course you idiot! He's an international singer, its _common sense_ that he won't stay in one place very long. How could you even begin to think that you two would be able to make it? He's leaving, and you are going to be left here with a broken heart. **Oh and that worked out so well with Taka didn't it? **_

She felt like going over to the nearest wall and bashing her skull against it repeatedly. What had she been _thinking_? She had to be the stupidest person alive. She had been eyeing what she had with Andy as a potential long-tern relationship and had been allowing him to possess more and more of her heart each time she saw him. And now… he was going to be leaving. She hadn't thought of that. In the long run, her relationship with Andy would probably turn out worse than her relationship with Taka. 

Stupid!

Andy swallowed at the wounded look on Miaka's face. He could practically see her heart beginning to crack from the harsh blow that reality had just dealt them both.

"Miaka…" he began, ready to apologize countless times for what they both knew was going to come at the end of the week.

Just as suddenly as the realization that he would be leaving had hit him, Andy was suddenly walloped upside the head by an idea that made his heart quicken and his skin buzz as though he were being shocked by a thousand tiny batteries. Genius. Pure genius!

She could come _with_ him.

Yeah! Why not?

It would be an amazing opportunity for her. She could see the world. Andy's mind conjured image after image of the two of them in different settings, sharing romantic dinners at sunset and simply hanging out and wandering wherever the wind took them. Okay… so it would be where his schedule took them… but nonetheless Andy's mind began firing even more reasons why it would be such a great idea for Miaka to come with him on tour. However, one reason seemed to outshine all the rest by a mile.

They could be together.

No matter where they were, they could be together.

Miaka eyed Andy curiously, he was still staring at her, his mouth opened slightly as though he were about to ask her something but was unsure of whether he ought to or not. "Andy?" she asked, reaching up and patting him slightly on the cheek. "Are you alright?"

Suddenly his eyes cleared and he bit his lip, looking as though he had just had the best idea in the world and was just bursting to tell someone. Slowly, he moved slightly away from her, sitting on his knees with her on the floor of the apartment, and captured her small white hands in his larger ones, gripping them slightly in anticipation.

"Miaka…" he began, shyly, "I know that we haven't known each other very long, and that you're still unsure as to exactly what your feelings are…" he paused, feeling his heart spasm at that, "and I know that I move around a lot because of my career. But…" his grip on her hands tightened and he leaned in closer so that he could see her face and expression when she answered him. "I want you to tell me if, despite all of that, if you honestly think that we could have a chance together."

Miaka remembered having a voice, but couldn't seem to make it work. She merely looked at Andy for a moment as he waited with baited breath for the answer that could just as easily make him insanely happy or break his heart. She blinked a few times, trying to gather her thoughts, wanting to be as articulate and intelligent and mature sounding as possible when all she really felt like doing was crying. He was _leaving_! So soon!

It wasn't fair. Miaka had just found him again and now he was going to be taken away from her by that sleaze ball of a manager and a busy schedule. 

"I… I think it could work." She stuttered finally, trying not to let her voice waver too much, "I really think it could. I mean, you make me feel things that I'd forgotten even existed and… well… It's just…" she blushed and sniffled, "The thought of you leaving and me never seeing you again just… it _hurts_. I don't want you to go away. I don't want to have to try and forget you. Because I won't be able to do it." Bright green eyes looked up at him, "I'd miss you. And I want to get to know you better."

Andy let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, leaning forward and kissing her chastely, "I'm glad to hear that, Miaka. Because I feel the same way." He squeezed her hands reassuringly and continued, "I don't think you quite understand just how intense my feelings for you have grown." 

He sighed, "I know famous people are all reputed to have countless flings and to never really settle down, but… that's not what I want this to be." He eyed her seriously, not wanting to scare her, but needing to get this out in the open, "I want what we have to last for quite a long time, and I don't want for it to just end at the end of the week. I'm going on a trip, but I will be back." His eyes grew melancholy, "Although… not seeing your face every day will certainly make for a long and boring trip." He sighed, "And that is why I must ask of you one thing."

Miaka's eyes widened fractionally. What could he possibly want from her?

"Would you consider… coming with me?" he bit his lip and watched her intently, wanting to be able to see her answer as well as hear it.

Miaka's heart skidded to a halt before starting up again at a higher rate, "You mean, on _tour?" she asked incredulously. She blinked several times and knew that her mouth was hanging open slightly in astonishment, but she could care less at the moment. _On tour?__

Andy closed his eyes, feeling defeated. "I knew you probably wouldn't want to do it." He gave her a placid, resigned look. "I understand though. You have a life here. I can't expect you to simply pick up and leave just for me." His hand came up to brush Miaka's bangs out of the way, "It's all right. I don't want to pressure you into making any rash decisions, so you can take the rest of the week to think about it." He smiled a bit sadly, "I know it's a bit of a crazy idea. But I just thought that that way, no matter how busy I was, we'd always be able to see each other." He cupped her face with a hand and let out a breath, "I won't ask you again, but know this." 

He trailed off and leaned close to her so that their noses were brushing. He held her hands in his free one and continued, so softly that she could barely hear him. "It is you who holds my heart." He rubbed the back of one of her hands lightly with his thumb, "And I want you always at my side."

Miaka blinked back tears at his words. Memories of Hotohori came flooding back once again and in her peripheral vision, Miaka could see his skin glowing once again where his symbol usually appeared. With a choked cry, Miaka threw her arms around Andy's neck and clung to him for all she was worth, her own heart swelling and over flowing with an excited tingle that she had only ever experienced with Taka before. "Andy I want to! Really I do, but I'll have to think about it. I'm sorry." She squeezed his neck tighter and leaned into him when his own arms came up to hold her back.

She continued, not wanting him to think she was just blowing him off. "Like you said, I have a life here. I have friends, I have school, I have work…" she trailed off. She couldn't just pick up and leave all of that behind could she? As tempting as it was to simply follow Andy wherever he wanted to go, Miaka knew that she couldn't decide until she had cleared some more things up in her own life.

Taka for one.

And what she wanted to do with her own life, for another.

Andy sighed, his hand moving up and down her spine comfortingly, "I know. It's alright. I can wait." 

They simply stayed like that for a few moments while Andy let his thoughts run away with him. He knew that one of the reasons that Miaka had been so attracted to him was the fact that he was willing to spend his time with her whereas Taka had been so engrossed with his job that Miaka had been shunted to second place. Silently he promised himself that if she were to even consider agreeing to what he was about to ask that he would never allow her to come second to anything. Ever.

Miaka was the first to pull back, she stood and then extended a hand to help him to his feet, "I think I need some fresh air." She said, smoothing down her sweater and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear nervously. "Do you wanna go for a walk?"

Andy nodded, reaching for his jacket and following Miaka out the door.

Andy gazed at the strings of lights strewn up all over the park in wonder. The decorations were amazingly well done, it almost looked like the lights weren't lights at all, but tiny fairies just coming out at dusk to dance to their own sweet music. 

His eyes flicked sideways towards his companion and he was hard pressed to keep his hands in his pockets and away from her. He had decided as soon as they left the apartment that he would back off a bit from now on. She had a _huge_ decision that he had just saddled her with. He hoped to any god that would listen that she would decide to come with him. He wanted her to come with so badly that he knew he would not be above begging if that was what it would take. But his better nature and honor kept him from trying to sway her. 

Not that he wouldn't have _enjoyed_ trying to persuade her to come with, he just knew that if he did, and that wasn't what she truly wanted, that they would both regret it later on. And so he grudgingly left her to her own devices and simply hoped that she felt as strongly for him as he did for her.

Miaka, for her part, had reached a stalemate. She had no idea what she was going to do. Since she had seen Andy sitting in her living room earlier that night she had felt herself becoming more and more drawn to him with everything he said and did. She wanted nothing more than to go with him.

But then… there was still Taka.

There was that stubborn sense of loyalty that she had to him even now. A small part of her heart just didn't want to let it go. They had worked so hard for everything, and to believe that it just wasn't going to work out now… it seemed like she was throwing everything back in the faces of all her dead Seishi. It was like telling them that they had died for nothing.

And Miaka couldn't stand the way that made her feel.

But…

Every time she looked at Andy, even thought about glancing in his direction, her heart would give a strange thump. It made Miaka feel almost as if with the next step she took she could fly. Her heart practically sang.

But with that feeling, there came a small voice saying, _"No no no, you can't, it isn't right. Remember what Keisuke said?"_ and with the presence of that voice, Miaka felt like the most disgusting thing on the face of the planet.

Keisuke was right. What she was doing was _wrong_. She couldn't, she wouldn't, try to remain faithful to one man while falling in love with another. Her heart just couldn't take it.

Miaka was an impulsive person, but at the moment she was feeling anything but. She was weighing the possibilities of her choices, and everything right, everything smart, everything reasonable said that she should stop all of this nonsense and go back to Taka and live her life happily ever after with him.

But if everything else pointed that way… then why did she still feel so confused?

Miaka shivered suddenly, her small frame shaking violently with her body's reaction to the cold. She rubbed her hands together to get the circulation flowing better as she eyed the lighted park, amazed at the way the light reflected off of the water. She knew she should have worn a coat…

Suddenly, Miaka was enveloped in a wave of warmth that washed over her like the smell of fresh bread baking. She eeped slightly as two arms slipped around her middle and locked, pulling her flush against a hard muscled chest. Her heart fluttering madly, Miaka recognized the coat that she was now practically drowning in and sighed.

"You could have taken it off first you know."

Andy pouted, resting his chin on her shoulder, "But then I would be cold…"

She laughed shortly at his tone, "Thanks, Andy." She murmured, leaning her head back and looking him in the eye.

Smiling down at her warmly, he wrapped his coat around her firmly, trapping her within its confines. "You're welcome." His breath created a slight fog in the crisp air.

Miaka giggled at the feel of his chest vibrating with his words and looked up towards the night sky, searching out any of the constellations that had over time become so dear to her.

Unfortunately, it was winter, and the sky was overcast,

However, she _was lucky enough to see the first sprinkling of snow descending from the heavens, dancing in the light of the street lamps and string lights. The first snow of the year._

"Look, Andy." Her eyes shining as she smiled, "It's snowing!"

"So it is." He said softly.

They stood like that for a few moments, watching the snow fall lightly to the ground, dissipating on contact. Andy was going nuts. She was so close…kissing her again seemed like such a good idea. Yet, he had forbidden himself from doing anything that would possibly sway her decision. He wanted her to make her final decision based on what she truly felt, and nothing else. 

However, men only have so much will power.

Before he could stop himself, Andy found that he had already grasped Miaka's chin in his hand and angled his head towards hers. His lips mere millimeters from hers and in the next second they were having a repeat performance of what had occurred earlier in the living room. Andy eagerly delved into Miaka's willing mouth as though he had been dying of thirst and had just been offered water.

Okay. Screw his earlier notion of trying not to sway her.

He knew without a doubt that without Miaka his life his life would become the cold and bleak place that it had always been, and after this sudden taste of sunshine, of warmth and love, he didn't think he could ever go back to that way of life again.

That was when Andy realized exactly how in over his head he was. Not only was he falling in love with the girl, (in fact he wasn't so sure that that hadn't already happened…) but he had discovered that he downright _needed_ her. She offered him compassion, understanding, and just the general good feeling that he got when he got by simply being around her; everything that he had always wanted to be able to receive from a person, and had never gotten.

And so sway her he would.

Andy was going to do everything in his power to try and convince Miaka to go with him. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he knew that even if he had a snowball's chance in Hell, he wanted to make Miaka happy. Because in all the world, at the moment, that was all he really wanted. He could have been fired from his job, had his features horribly scarred, and become homeless all at once, and he wouldn't have a care in the world if by doing all of the above that he could make her happy.

The sound of a stick breaking jolted the two of them back into reality and they froze guiltily at their current position. Miaka, who was still cuddled close to Andy inside his jacket, felt her face heat as she searched for who had caused the disturbance.

"Ayame?" Miaka blinked, immediately recognizing the pretty dark haired girl who was trying to hide in the shadows cast by the trees on the side of the walk.

The other girl stared back in shock. Had she really seen that? Her dark eyes began to brim with tears at the pain that came flooding over her at the sight of her Andy draped around her coworker.

Miaka bit her lip, feeling almost as if she had committed some sort of betrayal. She knew that Ayame was head over heels for Andy, and she felt that because she had pursued him, that she had done Ayame a great wrong. But at the same time a tiny voice in the back of Miaka's mind retorted that Ayame was going to have to learn to let it go. She didn't own Andy after all. And it wasn't like Miaka was _forcing_ him to have feelings for her…

Apparently even after all of Ayame's politeness, the other girl still couldn't get over that fact that it wasn't her that Andy had fallen in love with. The sight of Andy and Miaka together had been too much for her.

Ayame quickly spun on her heels as the tears began to flow and Miaka nearly ripped herself out of Andy's embrace, intending to chase after the girl and try to comfort her somehow. _Although…_ Miaka realized,_ she probably doesn't really want to see me at the moment…_

Andy's hand flew out and gripped Miaka's arm just above the elbow, the look in his eyes telling her exactly what she had just realized. By following Ayame, she was only going to make the situation worse.

The two stared silently in the direction that Ayame had gone in for a few moments before Andy wrapped his arms around Miaka once again and steered her back towards her apartment building. "Maybe I should go now…" he suggested, checking his watch, "It's getting rather late after all."

Miaka agreed, although she really didn't want to see him go, and she contemplated inviting him up for a while longer, before realizing that that would likely be a bad idea. Andy had been extremely demonstrative in his affections for her thus far, and somehow she thought that if he attempted to go any further, that she likely wouldn't even think of stopping him.

Miaka's resolve weakened slightly as they walked back to her apartment. It seemed that Andy had developed a severe case of static cling. He held her hand, wrapped one or both arms around her, and whenever he got the chance, to the scandalized eyes of passerby, kissed her lightly either on the top of the head, on the cheek, or brought her hand to his lips to trail light kisses on the back of her hand.

Blushing, Miaka took her hand back, rolling her eyes at his wounded expression. She shrugged and gestured to the apartment, "We're here." She explained, shuffling her feet slightly. "Stop giving me that look." She growled playfully, "You'd think I was denying you the right to breathe or something."

Andy's pout only became more effective as his eyes began to resemble those of a kicked puppy that hadn't been fed for weeks. By this time, he had worked himself up to the point that all he really wanted to do was follow her upstairs, barricade the door, carry her off to the bedroom and not come out for a few days… weeks… A month.

"Stop that!" she laughed, swatting him lightly on the arm, "You have to leave now, because if you keep on the way you are, I don't think I'll be letting you leave."

Andy's eyes shot up in surprise, "Is that a promise?" he asked playfully.

"You!" Miaka huffed and swatted him again. "You are… just… bad. Bad Andy!"

He laughed and then moved to hail a cab, looking back over his shoulder longingly, "Don't I get a kiss goodbye?"

Miaka fake-glared at him. "You have _exceeded_ the kissing limit for this date buddy. And for being such a smart aleck, I don't think you deserve one."

"Please?"

Miaka tried to stand firm.

_Don't look at the eyes… Don't look at the eyes…._

It was a losing battle.

Right as the cab pulled up, Miaka threw her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to his quickly.

However, Andy, the darn sneak, trapped her in place with an arm, continuing the kiss for a good minute or so before he pulled back, placing a finger to her kiss swollen lips and scolding her, "Didn't think you'd get away with cheaping out on me did you?"

Miaka laughed and gave him a light shove towards the cab, "Just get outta here before my brother comes home. He wasn't kidding about that prison thing you know!"

As Miaka watched Andy's cab turn the corner, she allowed herself to lean against the doorjamb and then sighed contentedly. She and Andy had had a great time. They had learned more about each other, and… she blushed suddenly, remembering each one of their many kisses; her heart pounded oddly and a flash of heat washed over her at the thought of them, and Andy. When her imagination began to dwell on what else could have occurred had Andy stayed, shivers of anticipation ran down her spine.

Oh blessed Suzaku, did she have it _bad_.


	10. Playing Dirty

AN: Okay. Hayai, first of all, you have to promise me you will not kill any of my characters until AFTER the story is written alright? *cringes* I'm sick today… So no calling me and screaming in my ear about the content of this chapter!!

Anyway, my writing mojo is returning. Be happy!

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Ten: Playing Dirty

Yumiko Kaze

Miaka sighed dreamily as she practically floated up the stairs to her apartment. At that moment if someone had asked her name she doubted that she would have been able to remember it. Her date with Andy had left her feeling dizzy and lightheaded, as if it had all been nothing than a very real dream. Her entire world felt surreal.

Letting herself in, Miaka headed to the kitchen, preparing to put the food that she and Andy had eaten back where it belonged. She hummed to herself as she rolled up the end of the chip bag and clipped it before opening the pantry door. She stopped a moment, glaring at the top shelf where she had drug it down from. It was easy enough to jump and grab something from it, but it was near impossible for Miaka, at her height of five foot two, to manage to replace anything without it falling right back onto her skull.

With a small grunt, Miaka hopped and tossed the bag, hoping that for once it would magically sail into place and not give her grief… but noooooo… it bounced right back and Miaka's other hand flew up just in time to catch it before it hit her face. "Ugh." She muttered, getting ready for another throw. If she didn't make it this time she'd just forget cleaning, leave it for Keisuke to pick up when he got home, and go to bed.

Miaka jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She squeaked and was suddenly acutely aware of a presence behind her. She froze as a hand reached past her head and took the bag, the person leaning forward and brushing against her as he (judging by the hands it was a he) reached up and placed the chips neatly on the shelf.

Miaka rolled her eyes as she started to turn, "Keisuke, I thought I told you not to scare me like that anymore you-" she trailed off when she caught sight of who it was. She dropped her hand that had been raised to smack her brother and blinked, "Oh, it's you."

Taka frowned, "Who else would I be?"

"Sorry. Keisuke scared the crap outta me the other night when I came home from…" she trailed off. Taka didn't really know that she and Andy had been seeing each other as more than friends, although she would have thought he'd suspected something.

Apparently though, he hadn't picked up on her little slip.

"Miaka, I've been doing some thinking," he began, trailing her around the kitchen as she put various things away, "I realize that I haven't exactly been the best boyfriend as of late," Miaka bit her tongue to keep from biting out a sarcastic _'ya think?'_ and busied herself with wiping down the counters, listening, but also not really paying attention, her mind still not willing to finish replaying her date with Andy. 

Feeling guilty for her mind wandering, Miaka clamped down on the thoughts of Andy and forcefully shoved them to the back of her mind; there would be time to dwell on those thoughts later, for now she had other things to deal with. She forced herself to listen as Taka told her how he had come to this realization that he needed to pay more attention to her. 

Miaka paused in her wiping of the counter and stiffened as Taka stood close behind her. She was still giddy from her date with Andy, and was very aware of his presence and the warmth that his body gave off. Swallowing, Miaka resumed wiping the counter. Drat the man. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but where he was standing conveniently penned her into a corner where the Lazy-Suzan was. There was a counter on either side of her and, short of pushing him out of her way forcibly, she was trapped. 

An arm wrapped around her middle, a hand reaching out and taking her hand that wasn't holding the towel and lacing his fingers with hers. Miaka froze as Taka pulled her back against him and kissed the top of her head gently, saying, "I want to try and find what we had…" as his voice trailed off, the hand around her middle trailed up and Miaka squirmed at the feel of his fingers brushing her ribs lightly.

Miaka could feel her insides melting at his familiar touch and inwardly scolded herself for being so easily aroused. Her heart picked up speed as Taka's lips descended to her neck. If she didn't put a stop to this now, she was afraid that things would go further than she really wanted them too. What was he doing in her apartment anyhow? Alright… scratch that thought, she knew _exactly_ what he was doing in her apartment, however, she _distinctly_ remembered telling him that they needed a break.

Collecting herself as best she could, Miaka took the hand that was slowly creeping up her side, unwrapped it from around her middle and twisted away from Taka all in one smooth movement. She could tell her cheeks were flushed and that her breathing was a little funny, but she was determined not to let Taka see that. "Taka… I appreciate you coming all the way over here to tell me this… but I think you should leave." She couldn't make herself meet his eyes and she focused instead on one of the cupboards over his shoulder.

Taka sputtered, confused, and not at all pleased, "But Miaka… I thought that this was what you wanted? You told me that I had some things that I needed to realize, I believe that I've realized them, and now I come over here to try and make amends and you're telling me to just leave?" his violet eyes resembled storm clouds as he stared at her incredulously. He really couldn't believe it. Was Miaka actually kicking him out?

Miaka twiddled her thumbs and sighed, "I know. And I'm glad that you've taken my words to heart and thought about things. I'm also very glad that you have the presence of mind to try and fix things between us." She smiled up at him, her heart constricting slightly at the wounded expression on his face. That had been one of the things that she'd so admired about him in the past, and she still did. However, now… that's all that was really there. The admiration that she felt for him being such a kind and good person, and… though he had just proved to her that he could still make her feel the things that he'd used to, Miaka wasn't really sure that it was him she wanted anymore. Like now. A few seconds ago when he had been touching her and doing all the right things, Miaka had felt that old fire beginning to rekindle itself, but now… even with him standing just a few feet away, she really didn't feel any incentive to pursue him like she did Andy.

"Just… please, Taka. Leave?" she asked, still looking away. She really didn't know what to say to him anymore. In her mind there was really only one last thing that needed to be said, and that was the one thing that Miaka didn't know if she could say at all.

Taka stepped toward her, "But I want to fix things." He gripped her shoulders, "I know we can. We just have to give it a chance."

At those words, Miaka felt tears come to her eyes. The only thing that could compare to how bad she felt was watching Hotohori die and knowing that she couldn't be there to help him. For years, she and Taka had been each others comfort, but now… she wasn't going to be there for him anymore. At least not until she could straighten things out with herself and Andy first.

"I think it may already be too late for that Taka…" she said sadly, looking up at him and taking in his rather shocked expression. "The reason that I wanted to take a break was because I had to have time to figure some things out." She cringed, she knew that line sounded horribly cliché, but there really was no other way to phrase it. And now she had to tell him exactly what she was trying to figure out. "I've been spending a lot of time with Andy over the last few days."

Realization and a dark understanding crept into Taka's face, and with that understanding came anger. It did not come swiftly, but it came with all the force of a street roller, old and ancient and completely unstoppable. It was the age old anger of the betrayed, of having been replaced. "Andy," his eyes narrowed, the storm clouds in them flashing with lightning, "You mean, His Highness." He scowled, voice shaking with rage, "And just _what_ have you been doing with _Andy_ these last couple of days that would cause you to…" suddenly all anger left his face and voice and he simply looked lost and alone, "want to leave me?"

Miaka blinked back the tears. Words couldn't describe how bad she felt for doing this to Taka, but she knew that if she were to continue in her relationship with him that she would just end up being unhappy. She had been so for quite a while before Andy had come into her life. As much as she cared for Taka, her happiness was not something that she was willing to sacrifice any longer in order to make him happy. When she voiced her thoughts on the matter, and told him that she was beginning to develop feelings for the reincarnated Emperor, Taka suddenly changed.

It was like that night at the festival. When his face had been shadowed and his body had been shaking with anger. Only this time Taka didn't punch the wall. However, just like that night, it seemed that her telling him that it was over was only making him more determined.

Slowly he backed away from Miaka and went to pick up his jacket from one of the kitchen chairs. "I want you to know Miaka, that this changes nothing about the way I feel about you." He regarded her with shaded eyes, "You want to take a break, that's fine with me. You need to sort out your own feelings…" he sighed, "I guess I can try to understand, but know this… I'll always be here, and I'll always love you."

Stone faced and rigid, Taka then headed for the door and let himself out, Miaka could hear the door click as he locked it behind himself.

Miaka, for her part, stood where she was and stared at the floor. She felt like the lowest creature on the face of the planet. It seemed that Taka still wasn't ready to give up on them yet. She felt horrible for hurting him, yet the fact that she was now technically home free in pursuing a relationship with Andy made her feel almost light headed. Somehow, the thought of her and Taka not being together anymore didn't make her feel as sad and depressed as she thought she should be feeling. Maybe it was post break up shock? Would the pain of it all hit her later? 

Or…

Perhaps this was proof that she had done the right thing?

All of her other previous break-ups had hurt like hell. Either she was getting immune to them, or… she really had fallen out of love with Taka without her even really noticing it.

Miaka's head swam with all sorts of thoughts ranging from her situation with Taka and Andy to possibly going away with Andy on tour to the fact that she had a test in the morning that she hadn't studied for… Placing a hand to the bridge of her nose to try and halt her oncoming headache, Miaka reached for a bottle of Advil, took three, and then headed off to bed. Maybe she could figure everything out in her dreams.

Failing that, she'd think about it all in the morning.

And if that still didn't work…

She'd call Yui.

Feeling resolute, Miaka sank into her pillow and was asleep in seconds.

***************************

"I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul…" Andy sang softly as he strolled down the hallway towards his hotel room. He had changed rooms in the days since Miaka had come with him to pick up the lyrics for Mr. Kimoto. In addition to the gifts he had been receiving at the front desk, he had also been getting some obviously hand delivered packages left just outside his door. He hadn't mentioned it to Miaka, not wanting to worry her, but the things he received kept getting odder and odder… He shoved he thoughts from his mind as he continued singing. He had just heard an English song on the radio, and he had immediately developed an attachment to some of the lyrics, sadly, those were the only ones he could remember… he'd have to ask Miaka who sang the song so he could buy the CD… He hummed the tune until it came to the next part that he knew.

"I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness…" Andy was suddenly reminded of Miaka. She had told him earlier that she had spent most of the last few years of her life forgiving Taka for one thing or another, and that it had indeed caused her unhappiness to have to keep forgiving.

He skipped the next two lines, not remembering them, and then belted out the next line and the chorus, which was the only continuous part of the song he knew, "I believe in love surviving death into eternity…" somehow, that line seemed to strike a chord very deep within him. For a moment wondered exactly why it affected him so, and drew a blank.

"I believe in Karma, what you give is what you get returned… I believe you can't appreciate real love 'til you've been burned…" Andy couldn't remember having ever been burned before, but somehow this line struck a chord as deep as the last one had. Maybe he had had a past life where he'd been unlucky in love? He didn't really know.

"I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side…" Andy could relate this to the current situation with Miaka. He had heard some of his fellow singers talk about how their partners had cheated on them and about the feelings of betrayal and hurt that they had felt because of it. Andy could now say that he knew that the other side of something like that happening wasn't necessarily any easier than being the one betrayed. He knew that Miaka had been mentally battling with her feelings for her old boyfriend while still trying to sort out everything that had been happening between himself and her. Andy hoped to god that she would pick him in the end, but he knew that nothing anyone could offer him would be able to make him envy her position. The choice that she was facing was likely one of the hardest that she would ever have to make.

"I believe you don't you've got until you say good bye…" Andy mused, that as well was very true. Miaka had told him that Taka hadn't seemed very interested in trying to be a lover to her until he had realized that he had some competition. For a moment Andy felt a cold wave of fear. If the reality of losing Miaka kicked in and Taka stepped up the game…would Miaka go back to him? Andy paused in his walking, catching sight of a package sitting in front of his new hotel room.

_Gah__! Stalker!_ He thought, wrinkling his nose and picking the thing up, automatically opening it and snorting at the contents. There was a rather expensive looking watch and a note which a condom was taped to.

Since the condom was obstructing some of the words on the note, Andy removed it and stuck it in his back pocket without really thinking before reading the note.

Disgusted, Andy sighed, "Wear this for me and we can have some fun?" he felt like laughing hysterically. It was the same person that had sent him the candy a few days ago, he could tell by the handwriting. Shaking his head he unlocked the door to his room and stepped inside, surprised to see that the lamp next to the bed was on and…

Andy paled and quickly turned away.

He did not want to see that! He _really_ didn't!

"What's the matter Andy?" purred Shiko, Andy stiffened at her voice, he could hear her rising from her place on his bed and the soft sound her feet made on the carpet as she padded her way toward him.

Shiko trailed a hand down his arm and watched as he flinched away from her. She smirked at his stiff posture. She enjoyed the way he was so flustered. Her voice low, Shiko maneuvered so that she was between Andy and the door. She laughed when he averted his eyes from her scantily clad figure.

"Don't you like it, Andy? I picked this out especially for you…" she twisted a lock of hair around her finger and tilted her neck to the side, the silky strap of her less than modest black lingerie slipping down her shoulder.

Andy could feel his face redden and he stubbornly continued to study the ceiling. He would not look… He would not look… "What are you doing here Shiko? This is my room."

"Why Andy… I would have thought that was obvious," she purred, looping her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his. She sighed as she brought her face close to his, she was tall, and thus was able to do so quite easily. Using one hand she tilted Andy's head so that she could look into his eyes – the man was still staring at the ceiling, and Shiko was determined to show him that she could be far more interesting.

"Shiko… I think you should leave," Andy said, pushing her away gently but firmly and shrugging out of his jacket, hanging it in the small closet provided by the door.

Shiko's dark eyes roved over Andy's body that the turtle neck seemed to disguise and emphasize all at once. She wasn't leaving. Not until she got what she wanted.

Her mouth formed automatically into the sexiest pout that she could manage as she once again invaded his personal space and ran her fingers up and down his chest, "Now don't be like that… don't you think that you and I could have a little fun?" she gazed at him with her best coy expression as he backed up slightly. Shiko followed him, forcing him back farther into the room and laughed when the back of his knees hit the bed and he toppled backwards with a startled oomph.

Andy stared stupidly at the ceiling as he lay spread-eagled. He was confused. What did Shiko think she was doing? 

_Now if that isn't an invitation… I don't know what is!_ Shiko thought as she settled herself on the edge of the bed and leaned over him, an arm on either side of his head. She smiled sweetly at him as her hand snaked up underneath his shirt and began stroking his chest and stomach with cool fingers.

Andy shivered and regained his senses, once again trying to shove her away. However, Shiko was persistent and even as he tried to push her away, trailed her hands down and pressed against his rear. He jumped at the unexpected action and frowned even as Shiko's eyes lit up, one of her hands going so far as to reach inside one of his back pockets.

"Shiko stop it. Get your hands out of _there._" The last part came out as a yelp when she gave him a little squeeze and brought the hand that had been in his pocket around for him to see.

"And what may I ask is this, oh reluctant one?" Andy inwardly groaned, she had found the stupid condom… 

"It's not…" he began, but Shiko cut him off.

"Came prepared I see…" she purred and leaned in, brushing her lips against his and wrapping her arm around his neck while the other happily stayed where it was.

Andy froze for all of three seconds before shoving her away with perhaps a little more force than necessary. Shiko bounced as she hit the mattress and pouted, "And~y…." she whined, "What's wrong?"

"Did you forget that I already have a girlfriend?" he said as he stood, trying to figure out of to extricate the girl from his room without causing a scene and starting rumors. 

Shiko snorted, "Oh, you mean that mousy little girl that you've been hanging out with? I thought you two were just friends." She glared up at Andy as though he had betrayed her in some way. "I don't know what you see in her anyway. It's not like she's as good looking as me."

Andy growled, she had gone a little too far there. In Andy's eyes, Miaka was beautiful. "All the good looks in the world won't change your rotten personality."

At that, Shiko's eyes flashed dangerously and she stood up, straightening her lingerie as she went, "My rotten personality? Well this 'rotten personality' is all you're gonna have once we leave Tokyo this weekend!" she spat, "Remember? We're only here for a week. Why the hell are you even trying? Once we leave you'll never see her again, and I bet the only reason she even likes you is because you're famous. You're just a novelty to her!!" Shiko's eyes were tearing up now in her rage. Trying to cover up how hurt she actually was by Andy's rejection, she lashed out with one well manicured hand and left a bloody trail across his face.

Andy stared at her in shock. His first instinct was to hit back, but he had been brought up better than that and simply stood there. Suddenly the need to hurt Shiko just as badly as she had hurt him took over and Andy scowled darkly, "Maybe not. I asked her tonight to come with on tour."

"What?" sparks seemed to fly from the corner's of Shiko's eyes as this new information hit her. "You can't do that!"

"I believe I can."

Shiko snarled, "Well I hope you have a picture of her, because by the time I get my hands on her, you won't be able to recognize the little twit!" with a toss of her hair, Shiko stalked towards the door and grabbed her robe, "Miaka Yuuki _will_ regret the day that she met you." She hissed, opening the door with such force that by the time she was through it, it slammed itself.

Andy stared in disbelief and shock at the closed door before going and locking the deadbolt and chain securely before he sat down at the small table provided and rested his head in his hands.

_Crazy females!_

************************************

Miaka groaned, rolling over in bed to look at the glowing alarm clock on her nightstand.

1:00 AM? Who the hell would be visiting at this hour?

The doorbell continued to ring persistently and though Miaka contemplated just going back to sleep and letting Keisuke or her mother get it, the knowledge that it could be an emergency was enough to rouse her. Now fully awake, Miaka hurried down the hallway to the front door yelling as she went, "Alright already goddamnit! I'm up!" she reached the door, noting that the ringing had stopped as soon as she had yelled. Unlocking the door, Miaka grumbled to herself that whoever it was had better have a damn good reason for waking her up at such a late hour.

There was no one there.

The hallway was empty too.

Damn. Whoever was pestering her was sure a speedy little bugger.

Having experienced this once before, Miaka looked down and raised an eyebrow at the small package and note that lay at her feet. Humoring whoever had taken the time to drop it off, she opened the note and rolled her eyes as she read it aloud.

 "You don't deserve Andy. He's mine. I won't let you come between us and our love." She let the hand holding the note drop to her side and glowered, glancing down the hallway to make absolutely sure that she wasn't going to miss kicking this person's ass and shut the door and locked it.

Tired and grumpy, she ignored the note and tossed it in the garbage, turning the small package over and over in her hands, wondering whether or not she should risk opening. She held it to her ear and listened.

Well. It didn't seem to be ticking.

With a shrug, Miaka opened it and grimaced.

Whoever had left this was just _sick._

Wrapped in a paper towel were several dog turds arranged in the shape of a skull and crossbones. Miaka wrinkled her nose at the smell and took it to the bathroom, flushing the whole thing. After washing her hands, Miaka headed back down the hall to her room. 

As she passed her mother's room, Mrs. Yuuki poked her head out and sleepily asked, "Who was it Miaka? What did they want?"

"They had the wrong apartment." Miaka lied, not wanting to worry her mother about some stupid little prank.

"Ahh." Mrs. Yuuki accepted her daughter's explanation

Miaka sighed and returned to bed.

To Be Continued….

AN: Oh the suspense! Who is it? Is it Ayame, or is it Shiko? They both have motive, they want Andy! Mwahahaha!

Okay. So maybe you all know who it is. Gimme ya geusses! I wanna see how well I did with the whole "Whodunnit" thing. 

This chapter was supposed to be longer. But Once again it turned out longer than I thought it would, so I decided to cut it in half. *shrug* Ah well.


	11. A Day Without You

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 12:

Yumiko Kaze

"Keisuke?"

Turning, Keisuke stuck another spoonful of frosted flakes in his mouth, answering with the ever universal "Eh?" to eye his sister who was just entering the kitchen and looked like she hadn't slept a wink the night before.

"You look like hell."

Miaka made a face and started foraging through the cupboards for something to eat, "Thank you Keisuke. I wasn't aware of that fact. I feel so loved." She found a semi-tasty looking granola bar and unwrapped it, eating it while she glared at Keisuke, "You know, it's not like I could have something _serious_ that I would like to talk to my older, more worldly, brother about. Oh no…I'm just little Miaka, I couldn't _possibly_ have anything _important_ to say."

"Are you PMSing?" Keisuke glanced down at her middle as though he were trying to develop some sort of PMS detection and then took a step back. "Please, take your Midol immediately."

"Keisuke!" Miaka hissed, "Be serious!"

"Alright." Finally realizing that Miaka might actually want to ask him something, Keisuke shut up, moving to sit at the kitchen table and motioning for his little sister to come and sit next to him, "What's up?"

Miaka sighed, "I don't really know where to start…" she said, tracing the wood grain of the table with a finger, "Well… it's like this…"

Keisuke, though corny and immature, was one of the world's greatest listeners. While Miaka poured her heart out to him about her feelings for both Taka and Andy and about Andy's suggestion that she accompany him on the Tour, he stayed silent until at last she finished and looked up at him with wide green eyes so much like his own.

"So what do I do?" she asked, "I'm so confused. I know what I'm feeling, but my mind right now is just so jumbled up with stuff…school, work, relationship junk…I can't even think straight anymore." She rested her head on the table and groaned. "And now I have a migraine."

"Well…" Keisuke began, "First of all, I'm not you, so I can't make your decisions for you. Second; what have you always told me?" he looked at her as though she should know.

Miaka gazed up at him through dead eyes that told him just how much thinking she couldn't do at the moment. Usually he could see what she was thinking snapping through her mind like lightning, but today it seemed that her brain had come to a screeching halt.

When it became apparent that she wasn't going to answer, Keisuke placed a hand on her head and closed his eyes before giving her a light kiss on the head, "Follow your heart, you moron."

Miaka snorted lightly at him, "How did I know you were going to say that?" she sighed, forcing herself to sit up. Following her heart seemed like the most obvious thing to do, but first she had to make her mind stop throwing out a million and a half reasons why she should just stay in Tokyo.

It was then that Miaka decided that she really didn't want to go into work today. Maybe she could call in sick? Nah… she'd get found out someway or another for sure. Besides, she needed the money. "Thanks Keisuke." Feeling resigned, Miaka stood and hugged her brother before going to the refrigerator and grabbing some juice.

"When did you say you needed to decide this?" Keisuke asked as he cleaned up his dishes and took them to the sink.

"By Sunday night." She answered, "And it's already Thursday."

Inwardly, Keisuke winced. _Only til Sunday? _That seemed like a pretty tall order for even someone like his sister to have to make a decision on so quickly. However, he would not let Miaka see his apprehension. "You still have three days; four if you count the rest of today." He put on a cheerful face for his sister, even though he doubted he looked very convincing.

Miaka groaned, "It's too _fast_. Everything's moving too fast. I don't know what to do anymore. Gods…Do you think if I prayed really, really hard that I could just go back to kindergarten? You know, when everything was easy?"

Keisuke laughed as he headed out the door, "Wouldn't that be nice."

Miaka frowned as she absently called out "Have a good day," before going to her room to find something to wear.

_Oh yes. Wouldn't it be nice…_

***

Andy groaned to himself as he sat down in the plush chair in Mr. Kimoto's office. It was only nine o'clock and he was already being dragged into Kimoto's office to "discuss" the plans for later that week.

Hmph. Like there'd be any actual discussing.

How sad. The man hadn't even walked into the room yet, but Andy knew that pretty much everything was already decided on, Andy was only called in order to make sure that it looked like he was having a say in things. It was times like this that Andy really wondered whether or not what he had to give up for his job was worth it. Sure, he had more money than he would ever possibly know what to do with, but it seemed like, piece by piece, he had given up his life and entire being to the will of others. He couldn't even remember how he liked his eggs, as they usually were ordered for him.

Sometimes he felt like just walking out on it all. Miaka probably worked far more, and harder, for less money, than he did and it seemed that she was still happier with her lot in life than he could ever remember being with his. What would happen to her if she decided to come with him on the tour?

Would she grow to be as miserable as he? Would she resent him? After all, he was asking her to give up quite a lot; her family, her friends, her job, and school. If she just up and left with him and things didn't work out, what would she have to return to?

And then Kimoto would rub it all in Andy's face.

Oh yeah. Meeting. As in a meeting of more than one indivual. As in _now_.

And where _was_ the short and balding bane of Andy's existence?

_Psh. Tells me to get here at nine on the dot and he's not even here. Jerk._

"Good morning."

Andy jumped guiltily, startled at Mr. Kimoto's sudden appearance, and wondering if the older man could somehow hear his less than flattering thoughts. He nodded, a slight incline to acknowledge Kimoto's presence. _I hate him. I really, _really_ do._

"What happened to your face?

Andy reached up and ran a hand across the scratches Shiko had left on his cheek. They still stung. He opened his mouth, about to tell Mr. Kimoto _exactly_ what had happened to his face, but, his better nature intruding, decided not to. _Karma. She'll get hers…_ he told himself.

At least…he hoped so.

Or else Karma was going to have to deal with him, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Thank you for coming in this morning. Did you sleep well?" Mr. Kimoto waggled his eyebrows and Andy shuddered at the memory of the scantily clad Shiko nearly molesting him. Dear Lord. He had had to change his sheets.

It was then that Andy had to wonder at the suggestive tone in his manager's voice; did Kimoto set him up? Andy rubbed a hand over his chin thoughtfully; Shiko had mentioned that Kimoto had thought that they would make a good advertising couple. 

_That lousy son of a…_

The phone rang and Kimoto answered it, giving Andy a chance to clamp down on the part of him that wanted to take off Kimoto's head. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Andy decided not to make a big deal about it and instead tried focusing on something pleasant.

He wondered what Miaka was doing right now. He checked the clock and sighed. Only nine ten. This was going to be a very, very long day.

Then he remembered.

Shiko had threatened Miaka the night before.

But…what could she do? Miaka was short, but Andy had a feeling that it pitted in a fight against his prissy backup singer that Miaka would kick some manicured ass. Besides, this was Shiko. He had known Shiko for a little over a year and he knew that though she was possibly the most spiteful bitch he knew, that she was probably bluffing.

He hoped she was bluffing.

Slumping like a bored high school student, Andy idly doodled on the piece of paper. When the phone call stretched on for more than five minutes, the idle doodles slowly began to form into pictures—not very well rendered, but recognizable—one of which resembled Miaka. He sighed. He had wanted to call her this morning to try and set up a time to see her, but had gotten too bogged down in work that Kimoto had given him. Now it looked like he wasn't going to be getting out of the office until late, especially if all of Kimoto's calls (of which he usually received quite a few) lasted even half this long.

_Miaka…_

He missed her.

He'd spent the Whole Long Night missing her. 

Without paying much attention to what he was doing, he scribbled down a verse.

_When I woke up this morning_

_And the night had been so long_

_It seems that I have had my mind on you_

He checked the clock again. Nine thirteen. Good grief. He was sure that that had been at least an hour. At least, that's what it had felt like. He groaned and his head rolled back to rest against the wall. Suddenly, it seemed the words were flying through his head. Without thinking about it, Andy's hand began to move, scribbling the words down as they came to him:

_Well the day_

_It has begun_

_And I can't get a minute_

_Can't get a minute without you_

_Oh… yeah…                                 _

_You're always on my mind_

_You're always in my head_

_And I can't live another day without you_

Well. That part was true enough. He doubted that he slept _this_ badly in several consecutive days before he'd met Miaka. The girl was always in his thoughts—she was disrupting his sleep damnit! Although…he didn't think he'd mind that she'd done so if they had perhaps say…been keeping each _other_ awake. But as it was, Andy felt like he was about to go insane if he didn't see her before the day was through.

More words slipped off the end of his pen as though it had developed a mind of its own, Andy tapped his foot impatiently as Kimoto's call dragged on and on and the second hand seemed to slow to a crawl as it passed the twelve.

Nine sixteen.

_Cuz when the minutes seem like hours_

_And the hours seems like days_

_And then a week goes by _

_you know it takes my breath away_

_all the minutes in the world_

_could never take your place_

_there's 1,400 hours in my day_

Andy wrote a few more verses, now so engrossed in his writing that he hadn't even noticed that there was a new presence in the room with them. The click of Kimoto hanging up the phone dragged him (reluctantly) back to reality and he twitched slightly when he realized that there was a new person standing right next to him in the doorway.

Well…Someone's legs at least. From his slouched position that was pretty much all he could see. Sitting up a little straighter, Andy realized that okay, this person was pretty dang tall. As his gaze jumped to see the person's face, Kimoto's voice boomed out, "Well hello! You must be one of the new hopefuls that I had scheduled for today!"

Andy froze, "Hopefuls?" he asked. Hopeful for what? Was he being replaced? Fear gripped his heart until Kimoto explained.

"Base guitar, correct?"

"Yup."  A man's voice.

Base guitar. Okay. He wasn't here to replace him. 

"Name?" asked Kimoto, pulling out a list.

"Ish."

Wait a second. Why did they need a need base guitar?

Mr. Kimoto must have seen the surprised look on Andy's face because he said, "Tsubasa was caught with some questionable substance the other night. He's in rehab. Hopefully someone who can actually play will turn up." He looked over at Ish. "Is there a last name that goes with that?"

"Nope. Just Ish."

A raised eyebrow, "Well. Let's see what you can do."

***

Three hours and many, many, many, varying levels of talent later…

_God. Make it stop…_ Whimpered Andy's subconscious as the latest hopeful nearly killed his guitar with harsh notes and just all around horrible playing.

"Next!" called out Kimoto, he made little shooing motions with his hands as the boy with green hair and purple eyes glared at him.

"Yo man, you don't know talent when you see it!" the boy pointed at Kimoto as he left the room, shoving past the next hopeful who glared after him as he jogged down the hall.

"Punk." She muttered, balling a hand into a fist as though she would like to strangle the boy.

"Do tell." Muttered Andy in agreement.

"We'll do one more, and after this we're"

Andy leaned forward, _Done? Please say done._

"taking a lunch break." Kimoto finished.

_You suck._

"Name?"

"Rae Midori."

Andy paused at the familiar name and looked up. A girl with long brown hair and green eyes shuffled her feet nervously as she played with the edge of her t-shirt. "Hey! I know you!" he said, standing and extending a hand. He was happy beyond words to see someone other than Kimoto that looked familiar.

Kimoto looked back and forth, "You know her?"

Andy's grin widened, "Not really, but she works with Miaka, I sort of met her once." He glanced down at the instrument that Rae held and raised an eyebrow, "Miaka didn't mention any of her friends played instruments."

Rae shrugged and proceeded to get the guitar out of the case, "So what do you guys want me to do? Play scales? Play a song? What?"

Kimoto instructed the girl on what to do and as she began to play, it struck Andy that this might just be some sort of sign.

_Wait. You were worried Miaka might feel lonely and resentful of leaving everyone behind right? Here's one of them now that would end up being on tour with you guys if she makes it! Not to mention she's freaking awesome! She's the best we've seen all day! It's a _sign_!_

"Brilliant!" he said as Rae finished playing, standing and saying a silent thank you to the gods. It surprised him for a moment that she was at eye level with him. Whew. Girls have no right to be this tall! She's as tall as me!

"Good, yes." Agreed Kimoto, "Best we've seen all day. We'll give you a call." He said as they watched Rae gather he things and leave the room.

_Yes!_ Andy silently cheered.

"But not good enough." Kimoto added once Rae was out of earshot.

"What?" Andy turned, scowling at Kimoto as the man crossed Rae's name off of the list. "What are you talking about? She was awesome!"

"We can discuss that later. For now we are going to go to lunch, come back, and sit through another three hours of auditions." Kimoto's voice was beginning to get an edge to it.

"No!" Andy slapped a hand on the desk. "That girl has to get the job. She was the best!"

"According to you. Besides, we haven't seen everyone yet." Kimoto said sensibly. 

Okay. Fine. He has a point.

But Rae _had_ to get this job! For the love of Pete! She _had_ to!

Andy admitted that some of his reasoning was extremely biased. He wanted Rae to get the job so that Miaka wouldn't be so along on the tour, should she decide to go; however; he also truly believed that this girl was their best bet.

Maybe he could bluff…

He sucked in a breath. He had to be crazy. What did he think he was doing? "I won't sing unless you hire her."

Kimoto froze, his little beady eyes going blank as the threat registered. When the words sunk in, the black eyes darkened with anger and his face took on an unsightly purple color as he drew himself up to his full height and hissed over the desk. "Then you won't have a job."

****

Miaka sighed and wiped her sweaty forehead as she unlocked the door to her apartment. She had had an exhausting day at work and, to her despair, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of—or even heard from—Andy all day. She frowned as she realized just how much a part of her routine the man had already become in just a few short days.

"Well, we're home." She said, closing the door and setting a green plastic kennel on the floor and stooping to open the gate. When the lone occupant of the kennel didn't exit immediately, Miaka sighed and lay down next to the kennel, making a soft clucking noise in her throat.

A bright amber gaze burned into her from the depths of the miniature cave.

Rolling her eyes at the animals sudden show of shyness, Miaka reached in and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and sitting up to cradle it in her arms.

"I can't believe no one's bought you yet." She muttered, hugging him to her chest and giggling as he licked her ear. The puppy had to be the cutest in the entire puppy room, and he'd been there for six months. Miaka had agonized for weeks over whether or not to bring the dog home with her.

Her mother was going to shoot her.

She held the dog away from her and eyed him; small, pointed fangs peered at her as he gave her a semi-wolfish grin. She narrowed her eyes as the sunlight coming in through the window caused the dogs eyes to shine a bright amber color, turning his golden orange coat into a beautiful flaming red.

"Tasuki."

The dog cocked his head.

"That's who you remind me of." She nodded to herself before kissing the dog's forehead again and hugging the animal. Noticing that it was kind of quiet in the house, Miaka set the pup on the floor and went to see if her mother or Keisuke had left a note. Luckily, her mother was working late tonight and now that her ears had finally stopped ringing from the incessant barking at the kennel, Miaka could hear that her brother was in the shower.

Grumbling that her brother had better get out of the shower soon, Miaka settled down in the living room and began flipping channels until she found a show that looked good. She vegged out and idly scratched Tasuki's head until she heard her brother enter the living room.

"You know, you sound like an elephant when you stomp around like that." She commented as she dodged her brothers attempt to steal the remote.

"And you smell like one." He retorted, making a second, more successful grab and changing the channel.

Miaka sniffed theatrically and then choked, "Eww! How much cologne did you put on?" she waved a hand to try and get the smell to go away.

"Enough so that by the time I pick up my date I'll only smell sexy." He said, deciding that he really didn't want the remote anyway and dropping it on the floor behind the couch where Miaka couldn't reach it.

"Jerk." She whined as she tried in vain to reach the remote without moving.

A sneeze from Tasuki caught Keisuke's attention.

"See? He thinks you stink too." Miaka said.

"What's wrong with him?" Keisuke knelt and scratched Tasuki under the chin. He knew that Miaka sometimes brought sick puppies home overnight, so he hadn't paid any mind to the fact that she'd been holding something small and fuzzy.

"Nothing's wrong with him." She said carefully, watching for a reaction. "He's the one I've been telling you about. The one that's been there for six months and no one wants him?"

"So you just brought him home?" he asked.

Miaka nodded.

"Without asking mom?"

Miaka nodded again.

"You are so dead."

Miaka ignored him and took note of his somewhat decent appearance, "Where're you going?"

Keisuke looked away, "Uhhh…"

Miaka's eyebrow's lifted, "You have a date? Who?" she laughed, excited that her brothers less than full love life might finally be going somewhere. 

Maybe now he'd keep his nose out of hers…

"No one you'd know." He said, standing up and going to get his keys. "If I leave now I might be able to find her house on time."

"What? You don't know where she lives?" Miaka asked incredulously, "Have you ever heard of a map?"

Keisuke shook his head and sighed, "Miaka, Miaka, Miaka. Men don't need maps. We use The Force!" he struck a pose as he stood just outside the door to the apartment.

Miaka snorted and nearly fell off of the couch as Keisuke shut the door and left. _The _Force_? No more Star Wars for Keisuke…_

AN: Dude. This chapter didn't even exist in my outline until two days ago. The part I've been trying to write is still…not written. I think it didn't want to be written because I was trying to write the part that comes after this and it just kind of felt wrong because I had a time lapse of nearly a day which in a story that spans only seven days in kind of a large amount of time so yeah… I apologize for this taking so long and then for it being only a filler with no really action to it… I decided once I finally get this whole thing done I'm gonna go through and revamp and edit it because I get too excited about having a new chapter up to send it to a beta-reader and wait to get it edited… So I'll do that later. Hopefully my spelling and grammer isn't too bad. 


	12. Maturity comes with Experience

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Twelve: Maturity comes with Experience

Yumiko Kaze

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            Rubbing her hair furiously with a towel, Miaka made her way back to the living room, trying to decide what she was going to do for the rest of the night. Her brain hurt too much for her to really want to think too much about the decision she was going to have to make, although she knew she couldn't avoid it for long. Her pensive expression turned into a grin when she caught sight of the Tasuki puppy sprawled out on her jacket in the chair. He was sound asleep.

"He really is Tasuki…" she muttered to herself as she seated herself and tried to find something good on the television. She was flipping past the news channel when she froze.

"Hey! That's me!" she stared openmouthed as the speaker continued with a story of how quote, "Smash hit super star Andy Wong has recently been seen with Miaka Yuuki—" Miaka stared, how in the world had they gotten her name? As several pictures flashed across the scene Miaka's jaw got closer and closer to the floor. How had they gotten some of those pictures? There was one of them out front at the hotel, one of them at the dress shop, one of them with the middle-aged guys on the corner, one of them on the motorcycle, even one of them eating at the pizza place… And one of them in the park with Miaka wrapped in Andy's jacket.

What the hell had happened to the concept of privacy? She was surprised they didn't have a picture of Andy making a move on her in the hotel room!

Miaka changed the channel, irritated that the press had been so invasive and yet neither she nor Andy had known they were there. She scowled and flipped the channel until she found a nice bloody action movie that she could lose herself in for an hour or so. If she was lucky maybe one of the bullets would come flying out of the screen and take her of so that she wouldn't have to deal with anymore of the rabid fan girls.

It's like they think they own him, she thought in disgust. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it as she dozed. She was startled back into awareness not long after by a knock on the door. Shooting a look to make sure the dog was still asleep (she didn't need him darting out into the hallway) Miaka dove for the door thinking that it could be the person who had been leaving her threats. Expecting to see a twelve year old kid leaving something disgusting, she flung it open prepared to give a verbal beat down—

Only to realize it was Andy.

And she looked like shit.

_I hate you, Fate._

Andy looked a little surprised at her rather strange method of opening doors, but didn't ask—assuming she had a reason for acting strange—and grinned and eyed her outfit. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go out to dinner, but you look more like you're ready to just go to sleep."

Pretending like being caught in her 'comfies' wasn't a big deal, Miaka smiled and stepped aside to let him enter, inwardly blushing at the way his eyes had lingered on her body before returning to her face. "S'okay." She shrugged, "You can come in for a while if you want." She said, hoping he would stay for a bit. She hadn't seen him all day. Truthfully, she had been too busy to really be able to miss him, but now that she had had some time to herself she realized how empty her day had been without seeing his smile or hearing his voice.

Andy blinked and felt his heart jump before he could calm himself. She was inviting him in while looking like that? He smirked inwardly at the way she self-consciously tugged at the shirt, he knew she thought she looked horrible, but in his eyes she just looked warm and comfy and…he really, really hoped there was some sort of a chaperone in the house or he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her.

Miaka answered his unasked question, "Mom's at work 'til late and Keisuke's on a date." She said going back to her place on the couch and motioning to the other chairs. "Come on in. How was your day?"

"Don't get me started…" he groaned. Miaka patted the spot next to her on the couch and Andy gratefully took up the offer, leaning into the pillows and sighing in contentment. He glanced at Miaka and grinned a bit, twining her fingers with his and kissing the back of her hand in one of his 'gentleman' type gestures. "Do you really want to hear me rant about my day?"

Miaka nodded, she could see him nearly bursting with the need for a good rant and decided that she might as well be the one to listen to it. Maybe she could get a better grasp on what being on tour with him would be like.

Andy sighed as he pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "Just remember, you asked for it." He warned as he searched his brain for what to rant about first—ah yes, the bane of his existence. Kimoto.

"I hate my boss…" was how he began. After he had exhausted the topic of Kimoto and his many evil doings, he moved on to the auditions that had been held.

"And more than half of them were horrible…it was like the preliminaries for that show, what's it called? Oh yeah. American Idol." He laughed and then remembered, "Hey, did you know that your friend Rae auditioned?" he looked at Miaka and she shook her head.

"Rae's pretty secretive about things like that. I think she's afraid she'll fail and end up being ridiculed for it. She's had kind of a tough family life." Miaka's eyes darkened, "Same with Hayai, both of their parents remind me of how you've described yours. You know, always criticizing, never giving praise. Arashi and Kieru don't say much about theirs. I think only Anwe and I have the truly supportive parents, although our lives aren't easy either."

Andy eyed Miaka interestedly. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who had been dumping their problems on this girl. Maybe this was the reason that Miaka seemed so mature; she not only had been through crap, but she had friends who had their fair share of it as well. "What about them?" he asked.

Miaka watched him closely as though trying to decided whether she should tell him or not and then spoke, "Well, Anwe's dad is military and so she's lived all over. It took a toll on her having to leave her friends behind every two or three years."

Andy nodded, that would suck. He himself was on the move a lot and so he could understand, though he'd never been in one place long enough to make very good friends with anyone. "So what about you?" Andy asked, "Where's your dad?" he looked around, realizing for the first time that there were absolutely no photographs of anyone resembling a father type figure. He'd been kind of wondering about that, he just hadn't gotten around to asking her about it yet.

"Me?" she paused, running a hand through her hair, "I consider myself pretty normal. I mean… a lot of kids parents these days get divorced." She bit her lip, and chewed on it a little. 

Andy saw the nervous worry in her actions and took her hand, "That's right. It's not a fun process, I would imagine, but it's not like it's abnormal."

Miaka kind of half snorted as a strange smile appeared on her face. Something about that grin Andy really didn't like. It was like some darker part of the girl was beginning to emerge.

"Trust me. This isn't exactly a normal case."

Andy cocked his head in interest. He hadn't known Miaka for very long, but he was beginning to know her very well. And knowing that someone else besides himself had problems kind of helped, made the world feel more and less insane all at once. "What? Why?"

Miaka sighed in resignation, "You can't tell Keisuke I told you this. And you definitely can't mention it to my mother." Miaka stopped, unsure whether or not to continue. The only other people that knew about this her were Taka and Yui. Her telling Andy was something that she would never be able to take back. What if he was disgusted? Would he leave and never speak to her again? She sucked in a deep breath and just said it.

 "My dad's in jail."

Andy looked almost like he been slapped. He blinked twice. "What for?"

Miaka eyed him, "Rape." She drew back and watched for a reaction with guarded eyes. 

Andy stared, looking more than a little dumbfounded.

What's he thinking? Wondered Miaka, Is he disgusted? Does he think I'm dirty now because I'm related to someone like that? She could feel the familiar tightness choking her and she swallowed.

"Andy?"

Andy wouldn't look at her. Instead he stared at his hands clenching into fists on his pant legs, "Did he ever touch you?" his voice had an edge of steel to it.

Miaka's hands flew up to wave frantically, "Oh no! No! He never touched me. I have no clue who the people he…did that to are. I don't even really remember when it happened. I was only two or so. Mom only told me a year or so ago. She figured I was old enough not to flip out about it. She was just gonna not tell me at all…" Miaka trailed off.

Andy sat there for a moment before slowly reaching over and wrapping Miaka in his arms—as though he were afraid he'd scare her if he moved too fast. He couldn't believe it. And yet it somehow made a weird kind of sense. Miaka never talked about her dad much so he'd assumed her parents might be divorces, but he'd never expected this…

He sighed into her hair as he felt her hug him back, "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Miaka made a sort of laughing noise, "It's alright. I told you, I don't remember him. So it's not like it matters…" she trailed off as he started stroking her back while she idly played with his hair. They stayed like that for a while, each taking comfort in the others presence.

Andy nuzzled Miaka's neck and breathed in her scent, how could someone so sweet be related to someone like that? He reveled in the warmth of her body and the touch of her skin. This was what he had been missing all day. A day without Miaka's presence had nearly killed him. He had been bored out of his mind, not to mention he had felt incredibly isolated.

Ever since he had met Miaka, it was like he had begun to develop a new sense of what friendship and relationships were supposed to be like. He had used to make idle chat with Shiko and the other back ups he worked with and had felt like he had friends, but after having met and talked with Miaka it was like he was seeing the world through completely new eyes.

Take Shiko for instance, he had used to find the girl mildly interesting, but now it was like he could see right through her and there was nothing there. It was like she was just a shell of a person with nothing of real value or worth to offer others and no respect for anything of worth that she might be given to learn. In any case, the entire day he had been forced to spend with Shiko and Kimoto had been sheer torture. He couldn't dump his problems on them, they wouldn't know how to deal with what he was feeling because they were too shallow and stupid to even begin to fathom what he might be going through. They were the ones causing his distress after all. After a day's worth of doing nothing but thinking, Andy had realized that he really had no one other than Miaka. She was the only one who cared enough about others to try and help him get through his problems, and she didn't mind if he complained or acted moody, because she _understood._

Maybe it was because she had already faced more of what the world could throw at you than most people her age, but it was like nothing he told her could faze her or freak her out. Even when he got into ranting about his parents Miaka had simply nodded and listened, asking him to elaborate on certain things and giving him advice on how he could deal with some of it.

Even in the face of all her strangely childlike mannerisms, there seemed to be a deep maturity and a… an oldness that spoke volumes about what kind of a person she was. He realized vaguely that he was getting all poetic again and didn't really care. As he had ranted about his day with Kimoto it was like there was some sort of tangible aura surrounding her. The aura seemed to call to him. Sometimes Andy almost felt like he could reach out and touch it. As it was, he could feel himself being drawn closer and closer to her by it and he was powerless to stop it.

Like hell he would _want to stop it._

"I stood up to Kimoto today." He said, breaking the silence.

Mika lifted her head, "Really?" 

Andy blushed and added, "Well… kind of, but not really, I ended up apologizing in order to save my sorry rear…" he looked away in shame, thinking.

Miaka frowned, she wasn't sure how, but she could sense that he was hiding something. She supposed having known him in a former life gave her a slight advantage, but she could tell there was something he wasn't telling her. "What is it that you're not telling me?" she asked.

He snorted. Geez, he couldn't hide anything from her could he? "Kimoto made some crack about how since I've met you my attitude is becoming more and more disrespectful." He glared at the floor. "Said you were a bad influence."

An eyebrow rose, "Really? I think I'll take that as a compliment. And you know what? You have to give respect in order to get any back, and I don't think that Kimoto has really been respecting you very much as of late." She squeezed his hand and looked him in the eye, "Andy, you don't owe him anything."

A tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered, I owe you everything, and before he knew it he was leaning in to kiss her. He was almost there when…

Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!

A high pitched round of yips nearly broke their ear drums. Miaka jerked back at the noise

Andy looked down. Tasuki growled and showed his teeth, standing and fluffing his fur to try and look bigger and more intimidating. Andy tried not to laugh; the dog weighed around seven pounds. "Is this you're little knight in shining armor?"

  "He thinks he's protecting me." Miaka laughed and then kissed Andy's cheek only to be rewarded with a barrage of yapping howls. 

Andy watched the orange puff-ball dance back and forth on dainty paws, _That thing looks like it'd be fun to punt across the living room, "You didn't tell me you had a dog."_

Miaka grinned sheepishly, "Well, I didn't until tonight." She said, relaying to him the long and sad history of how the dog hadn't been bought even after six months. It was then that she frowned and raised a hand to his face, "Where did these come from?"

Andy winced, he had tried to cover them up with some stage make-up, but apparently it hadn't worked. He leaned his face into her hand and rolled his eyes, "Shiko had a little temper tantrum."

Tasuki barked furiously, not happy that his owner was paying more attention to this strange male than to him. Or maybe he just wanted Miaka all to himself. Finally, Tasuki leaped up, catlike, and settled himself in Miaka's lap, glaring at Andy and baring his tiny fangs.

Golden eyes flicked down in annoyance, "That dog has issues." Some evil part of his mind reminded him, _Well__, you wanted__ a chaperone. You got it._

"He's just not used to sharing." Miaka defended her new pet.

_Neither am I, growled Andy mentally._

"Besides," Miaka added, "he's fun to cuddle with." She kissed Tasuki on the head and the dog wrinkled his nose as if to say 'Eww, cooties.'__

Andy eyed the ball of fur that sported the oddly familiar looking pair of fangs. _I swear, I know__ that dog… he thought to himself. Tasuki buried himself in Miaka's arms, making himself comfortable and pillowing his head on Miaka's chest, looking altogether __too smug and content for Andy's liking._

_The dog is mocking me. He thought incredulously. __That's just wrong._

Andy smiled and propped his head up on a fist, "If you want something to cuddle, I know someone who'd be a very willing participant." He said, his voice lowered as he watched her through half lidded eyes.

Miaka blushed and looked away, though Andy could see the smile playing at the corners of her lips.

And that's when the door to the apartment banged open.

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AN: Okay, I forgot to do this in the last chapter, but I don't own the Lyrics to the song featured in eleven. They belong to Hanson. I thought the lyrics fit the chapter perfectly. Also… This story just gets longer and longer. The things I plan to be little scenes just take on a life of their own and…grow wild. Sheesh. Anyway, I liked the theory about Miaka's dad I threw in there, because you never really see or hear anything about her father and… I dunno, I kind of added a little bit of drama that I liked. And _do not tell me that I screwed up on how someone would react after discovering that about someone because where I got the idea from my own life. So yeah. Don't think I don't know what I'm talking about. Also, I'm not really sure if the Tasuki puppy is supposed to be a reincarnate of Tasuki, or just a dog that looks like him. I like the reincarnate idea better. It makes the whole "That dog has issues and looks way too smug" thing make so much more sense._


	13. No Reason

We Will Meet Again

Chapter Thirteen: Running out of Title Ideas…..

Yumiko Kaze:

AN: Okay. This might flow a little funny at first, but I've rewritten it several times and it doesn't get any better. I finally figured out the problem goes back to when I had to rewrite the whole outline for the story. Something got messed up and so now some details are screwed over. There're only a few chapters left, so after I finish this I plan to do some major revising and to fix everything—because if I try to do it now I'll just keep fixing and fixing and never finish it.

* * *

Taka stared silently at the sight that greeted him when he'd opened the door. He wasn't sure, but could that faint crashing sound have been that of his heart breaking? Looking down he realized that he had just dropped the gift he had gotten Miaka. He blinked slowly as he looked at the sweets that had spilled out of the basket and onto the floor. The bottle of red wine he had bought had broken when it hit the floor and now pooled on the beige carpet, staining it as well as the white teddy he had gotten Miaka. He thought briefly that it looked like a miniature murder scene.

Looking back up, he saw Miaka had risen from her seat next to Andy and was coming toward him. Taka blinked again before turning on his heel and sprinting back down the stairs, hoping to make it to his car before Miaka caught up to him.

_How could she… Why… How… What did I…_ Thoughts rattled around in his head incoherently. He'd known that Miaka had been 'spending time with Andy' and that he was very much in danger of losing the only girl he'd ever loved. He'd _known_.

But to actually _see_ it, even if all they were doing was sitting there (that he could see) made him as jealous as he could ever remember being. He'd had to get out of there before he did something stupid, like try to hit Andy, because he knew that Miaka would get right in the middle of it and he didn't want to take the chance of her getting hurt.

"Taka!" Miaka's voice followed him down the stairwell as well as the sound of pounding feet.

Taka closed his eyes for a second as he continued to run, his heart thudded in his chest and then, his foot slipped and he went skidding down the last few stairs before coming to a stop on the landing to the second floor.

He was up again in seconds, but when he felt that small hand close on his arm he knew that the fight was over. He was going to have to face her.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and ran a hand across his face—had he been crying?—and forced a ragged, "What do you want?" through his constricted vocal cords. He felt Miaka flinch at his tone and he realized that he'd likely sounded harsher than he really wanted to. Slowly he turned to look at her.

Miaka swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and looked down at the floor. Now that she'd finally caught up to him she was unsure of what to say. It was then that her brain put two and two together.

_He must have let himself in with his key._ Miaka had felt her heart plummet when she saw what he had left. Twelve long-stemmed roses and a teddy bear had fallen out of their basket along with a slew of scattered chocolates._ He was going to try and make up with me…_

The man sure knew how to make her feel like a complete cad.

Miaka groaned and covered her face with her hands wishing that she could just curl up and disappear and not have to wake up in the morning and deal with everything that had just happened. As it was, her brain was in gridlock. She couldn't have formed a sentence if her life depended on it.

When she let go of his arm and didn't say anything, Taka opened his mouth as though to say something but the creak of the stairs made him look up. Andy was standing there, just looking at him as though he was sorry that he had caused the both of them such pain.

"I'm sorry." Miaka whispered through her fingers. Trying to hold the tears in and talk normally.

Taka glanced down and took a deep breath; he wanted to say too many things to settle on one. He wanted to insult Miaka, he wanted to forgive her, he wanted to cry with her. Finally he settled on not doing any of the above. He sighed and put his hand on Miaka's head, rubbing his thumb through her silky hair. "Just… forget it, okay?" with that, he dropped his hand and turned to walk down the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

As Miaka watched him go, she felt her knee's give out as the horrible sinking feeling that she had just hurt someone so badly settled in her stomach. She collapsed on the landing and leaned against the railing. She rubbed her eyes, trying desperately to stop the infernal tears and jumped slightly when Andy knelt behind her to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You must think I'm such a horrible person."

Andy's eyes widened in shock, "What? Why on Earth would I ever think such a thing?"

"Because," she sniffed, "I'm such a two-timing bitch."

"Don't you _ever_ say that again." Andy's voice whip cracked through the silent stairwell and Miaka flinched at the raw anger in it.

"But it's true."

"No it is _not_." Andy growled and pulled her backwards into a fierce hug that sent both of them tumbling backwards. "First of all, you are not a bitch. You are one of the nicest most caring people that I have ever met and I consider myself lucky to even have you as a friend." Andy lowered his head until his chin was resting on her shoulder and he was speaking directly into her ear, "And I don't consider you a two timer, because you were not trying to date both Taka and I at the same time and keep each of us a secret from the other. You even told Taka that you needed time to sort out your feelings. You told _me_ that. You have been trying to look after the best interests of everyone involved except for your own." He hugged her tighter and planted a light kiss in her cheek, noting that it was still salty with tears.

"Bu-" she began only to be cut off by Andy.

"Shh," he soothed her, "It's okay." _I love you_, his mind whispered. "Look, Miaka. I knew what I was getting into and I felt that you were worth it."

Miaka sniffed, her tears subsiding, and placed a hand over one of Andy's. "But why?" she asked, "Why am I worth it?"

Andy opened his mouth to try and explain it and then realized that he really had no _idea_ why he loved her so much. It was just some sort of feeling that he got when he was around her; she made him feel like he could fly. And… he just couldn't seem to put the feeling into words. Every time he saw her he felt a pang, a throb that was almost painful. Even so, it was that throb and that feeling that made him feel like he was whole again.

But he couldn't tell her that. Not yet. So he settled on hugging her again, "Just…because." He whispered, closing his eyes and sighing. _Does love need a reason?_

* * *

Taka opened the Coffee House door and then slammed with what was perhaps a little too much force. Everyone already in the shop looked up and then averted their eyes when they saw the irate young man.

Taka ordered some coffee and a bagel and then sat down in a booth and idly watched the television that was placed in the far corner of the shop. He sighed. His brain felt like it was a balloon that someone had let all of the air out of. He couldn't think, and to top it all off, his arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. Was he getting depressed?

Since the Coffee House was already pretty full, Taka wasn't really all that surprised when a dark haired woman came over and asked if he'd mind if she sat with him. Since he was beyond caring about much anyway, he said yes. The woman sat down and quietly ate her soup and sipped her coffee while Taka tried to figure out why he hadn't been able to say anything earlier. Usually his mouth was so loose that anything he thought just came flying out, so what had happened?

He sighed. He was starting to hate life.

"Sir."

Taka blinked, "Huh?"

"Your coffee's getting cold." The woman smiled at him and Taka noticed for the first time how incredibly beautiful she was.

"Oh." He blushed, "Thank you Miss, um…" he smiled a bit in aplogy for not knowing her name.

"Shiko." The woman smiled again before propping her head up on a fist, "Had a bad day?"

"How could you tell?" he grumbled.

"Because you looked like you wanted to kill someone." She smirked a little, twirling a lock of raven hair around a finger.

"Its that obvious, huh?" Taka chuckled a bit at how transparent he was.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what's on your mind?" Shiko cocked her head in interest. Taka looked at her for a moment, trying to decide if he really wanted to tell a perfect stranger about his problems.

"I bet it's a girl. Am I right?"

"How did you know?" Taka asked, flabbergasted that she had figured it out.

She smiled mysteriously, "A man only gets that look when he has had his heart broken by the woman he loves. Believe me. I know. I myself have left a long trail of shattered hearts. I know what I am talking about." Shiko blew on her coffee before talking a small sip, "So tell me about this girl."

Taka looked at her with an expression that clearly said, 'no way you psycho' to which Shiko rolled her eyes and leaned forward, exposing a bit of cleavage as she did so, "Remember this. Just because I have broken the hearts of others doesn't mean I won't understand. I have had my fair share of heartbreak."

Taka chewed on his lip in thought before deciding that spilling his guts to this woman wouldn't hurt anything. "Well first of all, you have to understand that I've known this girl for years. We fell in love when she was only fifteen and I was seventeen. We…" his voice broke, "We went through hell to be together. Ever since then I've devoted my life to trying to make a life for us. Unfortunately doing so has put me in the position that I haven't been able to pay as much attention to her as I should have." He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. Gods he felt like such an idiot.

Shiko listened attentively as Taka told her about everything that had happened in the past week. By the time he'd ranted until he was out of breath, Shiko knew the basic rundown of everything that had happened.

Looking at Taka with true sympathy, Shiko tilted her head, "Have you tried telling her what you told me?"

Taka looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head slowly, "No. Every time I want to talk to her it seems like I just can't say what I want or what I mean. It's like my tongue is made of clay or something."

Shiko tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully, "Well then, why not write her a letter and then read it to her? It'll give you more time to plan your words out and you won't have to grope for what to say."

Taka was speechless for a good twenty seconds, "That's perfect! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Maybe because you're a typical male that has been conditioned since birth against showing his emotions?" When Taka looked at her funny Shiko looked away, "Pysch 101. Very interesting stuff." She coughed delicately and changed the subject, "So what are you going to do about the other guy?"

Taka looked down, "Part of me wants to kill him. The problem is that if I _did_ my girlfriend would never speak to me again. Besides, the guys my friend and he's one of those all around nice guys, you know? I guess if," Taka swallowed, "If she doesn't want to be with me, then I'm glad it's him."

Shiko looked surprised at that, "Well. It sounds like either way this turns out people are going to get hurt. She picks one of you, she hurts the other. Not to mention that this probably isn't easy on her you know." She sighed, "It's kind of a shame though. You're such a nice guy, your friend sounds like a nice guy, and this girl doesn't sound like she's anyone to sniff at either. Well. I wish all of you good luck."

Taka grinned as they stood, "Thanks."

"No problem. Hey, you think you could fix me up with this friend of yours? What's his name?" Shiko slung her purse over her shoulder as she asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Taka said with a laugh as he threw away his trash, "His name is Andy Wong."

Shiko's smile instantly fell, "Andy Wong?" her eyes narrowed, "Your girlfriends name wouldn't happen to be Miaka would it?"

Taka blinked, "How'd you know?"

Shiko glanced out the window, "Lucky guess."

Taka was about to ask her where she knew Miaka when he was nearly knocked over by someone darting towards the door. As it was, he spilled his leftover coffee on his shirt. "Hey!" he called after his fleeing assailant. "That was _rude_!"

"What was their problem?" Shiko wondered aloud as she helped Taka try and mop up the spilled coffee with a napkin.

"No idea. Hey, so how _do_ you know Miaka?"

* * *

Miaka pressed her face into her pillow. Andy had held her and comforted her until she'd run out of tears. Shortly after Miaka had gained her composure Andy had decided that he should leave. Miaka hadn't wanted him to go, and she could sense that he really didn't want to leave either, but in the end she let him go, not having the energy left to argue anymore.

A light panting in her ear made her look over and smile. Large black eyes met hers and she was instantly greeted with a lick on the cheek. She scratched Tasuki behind the ear and closed her eyes.

"You're such a lucky dog." She told Tasuki, "In fact, any dog that has a good home is lucky." Miaka remembered watching one of those TV shows with Keisuke once about celebrities and their pets. One of the supermodels had six or seven dogs of various sizes and they all slept with her in a Queen sized bed.

"Yeah. You get to sleep in the bed and cuddle with me." She kissed Tasuki on the nose, "Heh. I bet Andy's jealous."

In answer to that, Tasuki perched himself on her stomach and lay down with his head on her chest. The last thing Miaka saw as she drifted off into sleep was the gleam of Tasuki's fangs as he grinned.

To be continued…

AN: This is why I thought it'd be funny to have Tasuki reincarnated as a dog. I mean, how lucky could he get? Kisses, cuddles, and sleeping with Miaka! That man would be luckier than Andy at this point in the story! –Although it would be funny, the dog isn't really Tasuki.


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 14:

Yumiko Kaze

AN: Wow. So far people seem to like chapter 13… Since I wasn't happy with it I expected a bunch of "This sucks!" type of reviews… Ah well. I forgot of happy getting reviews makes me. Gave me such a boost I decided to start on the next chapter right away—not to mention that one of my Student Success Strategies goals was to finish this darn fanfic by the end of the quarter and trying to get at least one chapter done a week. sigh Hopefully turning this into a "class assignment" kind of thing will help me get back in the swing of writing… You realize this gives you all the right to email bomb me with threats during the week right? shudder I think I'm afraid… I'm giving you all WAY too much power over my life.

* * *

Andy tilted his face toward the warm water streaming from the shower head and closed his eyes, running his hands through his long hair and licking up the traces of water that fell on his lips. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the wall of the shower, breathing in the steamy air and letting it out in an attempt to calm himself.

Today was the day.

Today was the long awaited party that Kimoto had set up (okay technically it was _tonight_…). And Miaka was coming with him. He grinned to himself at the fact that he would get to show off Miaka to Kimoto and the rest of the road crew. Aside from the typically annoying dancers and backup singers, the roadies weren't so bad to talk to. If a little rough around the edges…

Wait. On second thought maybe Andy would try to keep Miaka as far away from them as possible. Some of them were known for being crude and would probably try and feel Miaka up or something. Not that he didn't want to do the same thing, but at least he had restraint!

Yup. She definitely wasn't going anywhere near them. Uh uh. Nope.

I _am turning into _such_ a jealous freak. _Andy thought to himself, shaking his head as he did so. Well. He supposed he had a right to be a jealous freak. What kind of boyfriend would he be if he thought it was okay for other guys to put their hands on his girl?

_Your girl?__ **Yes. My girl.** Since when has she been 'your girl'? **Since…well…since I said so.** Sure, whatever. Freak. _

Was talking to yourself like that in your head a sign of insanity? Andy didn't know.

Andy stuck his head out or the shower and glanced at the digital clock sitting on the dresser and groaned. He loathed leaving the quiet and comfortable sanctity of the shower, but he'd be late if he dawdled any longer. As it were he was already behind schedule. Why did Kimoto want to talk to him so early today anyway?

Turning off the water and shoving the curtain open Andy reached for his towel just as several people walked in with camera's—including a very familiar looking face.

Andy couldn't stop himself, "Shiko?" Why hadn't he heard the door open? How did they get a key?!

Instantly all eyes were on him and Andy remembered that he hadn't even covered himself with the towel yet. With a very unmanly eep, Andy had wrapped the towel around himself just before the first flashbulb fired.

Shiko raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down appreciatively before speaking, "Andy? What are you doing here? Why are you _naked_?"

"I should be asking you that!" Andy rethought that for a moment, "I mean, aside form the naked part, why are _you_ here?" _What does it _look_ like I was doing?_ He grumped internally.

"I'm supposed to show the press around your room. Kimoto Okayed it." Shiko shrugged, "And you, my friend, are supposed to be with Kimoto right now." She checked her watch, "Correction. Three minutes ago."

"Well before I go I obviously need to get ready…" he trailed off as the camera's all raised expectantly. He felt an eyebrow twitch before he pointed, nearly dropping his towel in the process, "OUT!"

After watching the small group scatter, he spent the next few minutes dressing, combing his hair, and grumbling about the inconsiderate things that people did to other people nowadays.

Hiding everything he didn't want snooped through and grabbing anything he might need, Andy bolted for the door, opened it, and nearly tripped over the pile of gifts all sitting in a neatly stacked pyramid outside his door. Since he didn't have the time to carry it all to the nearest dumpster, he grabbed the note, stuffed it in his pants pocket, and shoved everything inside his room to be dealt with later.

How had they known where he was when he'd changed rooms the night before?

As he hightailed it to where he was supposed to meet Kimoto, Andy opened the note and read it which was a bad idea considering that he wasn't watching where he was going and that the contents of the note were enough to scare the crap out of him.

Though receiving the condom had been creepy, this note beat it out by being explicit and sexual in nature to the point that it was making him blush and he couldn't read it anymore. Whoever sent this was obsessed beyond reason and needed a straightjacket and shrink as soon as possible. Out of morbid curiosity made him skip the explicit sections to the end and what he saw made his blood run cold.

I won't let anything come between us.

You've been blinded by tricks.

I'll protect our love anyway I can.

I'll even kill for you.

That was it. He was calling the police.

* * *

"Mom, I have to talk to you." Miaka shuffled her feet as she entered the kitchen, half wishing that her brother was present so he could back her up and half relieved that she could speak to her mother alone. Without interruptions.

Mrs. Yuuki slowed in her motions of making breakfast and half turned to look at her daughter. "Sure honey, what about?"

"Well." She bit her lip, "Did Keisuke happen to mention that… I met someone new?" she prepared herself for her mother to give her a lecture about loyalty or some such thing, but all her mother did was quirk an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" she turned back to making sure the food didn't burn.

Feeling more confident now that her mother hadn't blown up, Miaka continued, "Yeah. He's really sweet, mom. I can't even believe that someone like him would ever be interested in me, but…he is."

Her mother smiled a bit, which made Miaka give her a curious look. Usually ver adept at reading people, Miaka just couldn't quite place the expression on her mothers face. She got so engrossed in trying to figure it out that her mother actually had to turn around and whack her daughter on the head.

"Well? Tell me more. What's he like? Is he cute?"

Miaka's jaw dropped; she was scandalized. Never in a million years had she ever expected her mother to react like this! Why, she was acting like she was one of Miaka's nosy girlfriends digging for juicy details! Was her mother going through one of those midlife crisis's?

Green eyes so much like her own twinkled. Miaka tried not to smile back. Her mother knew exactly how strange she was making her daughter feel. And she was enjoying it!

Finally Miaka broke down and outright grinned at her mother. "Oh mom he's the greatest! He's so considerate, and gentlemanly, and fun… Did you know he actually kidnapped me from work the other day?"

"Really?" Mrs. Yuuki looked genuinely interested and lowered the heat on the stove so that she wouldn't have to worry about it burning and seated herself at the table across from her daughter.

Miaka nodded and blushed slightly, "Yup! Just walked right in and literally dragged me out of there. We went shopping and he wanted to buy me this uber expensive dress. I wouldn't let him of course, but you know, it was kind of nice that he wanted to. Oh! And he brought me flowers!"

Her mother tapped a finger against her cheek, "I was _wondering_ where those came from!" she said.

Miaka cocked her head and tapped her fingers nervously on the tabletop, "Mom, shouldn't you be, like, I don't know, mad at me for being untrue to Taka or something?"

Her mother looked surprised for a moment, "Actually, I thought you guys broke up quite a while ago."

Confusion played across Miaka's face, "What? Why would you think that?"

Her mother sighed and gave Miaka a look, "Miaka, I may be middle aged and single. It may have been eleven years since your father and I divorced, but I haven't forgotten what it's like to be in love."

Miaka was clueless. "What do you mean?"

Mrs. Yuuki rolled her eyes, "It's obvious that you two aren't in love anymore. You two used to hold hands and touch each other whenever possible as long as you thought you could get away with it. You two used to be so adorable together. You two used to speak with your eyes. Your feelings for each other practically glowed. Anyone could see it. Then, I don't even really remember when it happened, but it was like the glow started to fade. It was slow, but eventually one day it was just… gone." Mrs. Yuuki shrugged. "I don't know how else to explain it. Love is a mysterious thing."

"You wouldn't know it by looking at me now," Mrs. Yuuki said, "But I used to be quite the looker when I was younger. I was no stranger to love. So don't think I don't know what I'm talking about."

Miaka raised an eyebrow. "So did you have a lot of boyfriends?"

Mrs Yuuki laughed, "Actually. No. I think they were all scared of me. In any case, I had this one very good friend. He and I were friends for most of high school. After a while, it was starting to become obvious that he'd developed feelings for me. I'd catch him looking at me when he thought I wouldn't notice. He took every opportunity to touch me, even if it was only in a friendly way. He even liked spending his money on me. I had to learn to watch what I said, or he'd buy me something without question."

"Aww. Mom, that's so cute! So was that dad?" _That's just what Andy does…_

Mrs. Yuuki laughed again, "Oh heavens no! I always just thought of him as a friend." Mrs. Yuuki's green eyes were a bit far off, reliving fond memories. "But see, I didn't feel the same way for him. The attraction and feelings just…weren't there. And it wasn't his fault, it wasn't my fault. It just wasn't meant to be."

"So, you don't think I'm in the wrong?"

"Of course not. Just because he was the first person you ever fell in love with doesn't mean he has to be the only man you ever love in your entire life. It just doesn't work that way. Do you know how many people on this planet would be miserable if it worked that way?"

Miaka looked down, "I still feel guilty."

Mrs. Yuuki lifted her daughter's chin, "I know you do. And it's okay to feel that way. It just means that you have a soft heart, and that you care about other peoples feelings."

Miaka smiled, "Thanks mom. I think you're giving me too much credit, but thanks."

Her mother nodded, "So. You didn't tell me yet. Is he cute?"

"Mom!" Miaka shrieked and threw a napkin at her mother, who caught it and raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'well?'

"Yes. He's _very_ cute. In fact, I don't think I've ever met anyone more gorgeous than he is. Although, don't tell him I said that because he is such an insufferable narcissist that if his head gets any bigger, he won't be able to get through a doorway. And he even does all those things you mentioned earlier." Her mother laughed at that and gestured for Miaka to continue.

"He's tall. Almost six foot. He's got this long brown hair and these incredible golden eyes. His eyes are what make him so amazing looking I think. They give him a sort of intensity. Like a hawk. Or some other bird of prey."

"Oh this is bad." Mrs. Yuuki muttered.

"What? Why?" Miaka frowned.

"You're getting poetic. That is a sure sign that you are _twitterpated_."

Miaka blushed. "Me, poetic? Right. _He's_ the singer."

"Oh, he's in a band?"

"Weeeeellll. Yeah." Miaka was getting nervous. Pretty soon she'd have to tall her mom exactly who Andy was and tell her about his offer.

"Is he any good?"

"You could say that." _He's only famous…_

"Well what's his name?"

Uhm… Miaka looked down and then to the side as though the answer to how to handle this was written on the table somewhere. "Andy. Andy Wong."

Mrs. Yuuki was momentarily stunned. "You mean that singer from china that you and Yui went to go see?" she looked genuinely surprised, and interested. "Now how in the world did you manage to get someone like _that_ to fall head over heels for you?"

Miaka shrugged, "Part of my charm?" she shifted uncomfortably, "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Andy, he uhm. Sort of asked me to go on tour with him."

Mrs. Yuuki looked surprised. "Well. When? It sounds like it would be a wonderful experience for you."

"This Sunday is when he needs to know, because that's when he leaves." then she remembered something her mother had said, "And you aren't worried about me going off alone? With a guy and his roadies? For an undetermined amount of time? I have family here. I have friends and school. I have a job."

Her mother moved back to the stove in order to try and save the food in the pan that had just caught on fire. As she calmly put out the fire, she told her daughter, "Of course I'm worried. You're my little girl. But I can't protect you forever. Not only is that not healthy for either of us, but it's time that you started making some of your own decisions. Are you willing to leave everything behind for this guy? Would he do the same thing for you? For instance, say that you didn't go with. Do you think that he would wait for you and come back? Or is the reason you're wanting to go because you're afraid that he'll find someone else and forget about you?"

The truth of her mother's words struck her like a physical blow. She could feel an icy hand grip her heart for an instant. Her mom was right. She _was_ willing to give up everything for Andy. She was willing to leave her family, her friends, and a job she loved behind just so she could be with him. And she knew he'd do the same for her if he had to. In fact, he'd already done so in the book. It was time she gave up a little for him.

Although… she was equally afraid that if she didn't go with that he would find another girl. Images of Houki flashed through Miaka's head and she shook it to rid her mind of them. What if they ran into Houki's reincarnate? Would Andy leave her for Houki?

No. He wouldn't. And you are not going to live with the shadow of Houki over your head. Now stop it.

"So… you're saying I should go?" Miaka asked.

Her mother sighed, "I'm saying that you should be sure of what you want in life. You should do what makes you happy. Because life without happiness isn't worth living."

DING DONG.

Miaka glanced at the door. She really didn't feel like getting up and actually moving just yet. But then again… if it was another one of those letters, she sure didn't want her mother to find it.

"I'll get it." She said, springing toward the door and opening it.

No one there.

And another note.

Miaka rolled her eyes and opened it, scoffing at what it said.

_Tonight, you die._

* * *

AN: Yet another chapter I cut in half!! Because tyhis chapter would have been friggin long! Damn. This means I have to do two chapters this next week… Argh. The things I put myself through for you people!! Remember! Harass me! I give you permission!!


	15. I cheaped out on a scene! Forgive me!

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 15: I SO cheaped out on a scene. Forgive me! wail

Yumiko Kaze

Miaka stuffed the note in her pocket and closed the door. _Tonight I die. Right. Whatever._ Next time she saw any of her neighborhood kids she was going to be completely paranoid trying to figure out which little brat had been the one messing with her.

"Wrong apartment!" she called to her mother. She definitely didn't want her mother finding out about the strange notes. Her mother was pretty cool compared to a lot of other mothers, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't take some stupid kids joke seriously if it sounded like it was threatening to her daughter. Miaka wanted to throttle whoever it was, but even she wasn't so cruel as to let them face the wrath of her mother.

"Again? Huh." Her mother answered absentmindedly, "So. When do I get to meet this guy?"

Miaka froze. Damnit. She wasn't getting off scott-free. Rats!

"Just because I'm a cool enough mommy to let you make your own choices and trust your judgment about people doesn't mean that I don't want to double check to make sure." Mrs. Yuuki peered around the doorway of the kitchen to look at Miaka, "What? Did you think I was going to let you run off with some guy that I'd never even met? This may sound biased, but since he is one of those famous rock star types I'd feel better if I met him first."

Defeated, Miaka sighed and nodded her agreement, "Alright. Should I invite him over for lunch or something then?"

"_Superb_ idea!" Mrs. Yuuki exclaimed, "Great! I'll take off work and you can call in sick and we'll have a nice little get together over some lunch!"

Suddenly, the rapid thudding of four tiny paws interrupted them as Tasuki zipped down the hallway and skidded into the kitchen. He made a squeaking noise as he slipped on the linoleum floor and ran straight into Mrs. Yuuki's legs.

Mrs. Yuuki glanced down, "And who is this little guy?" she knelt down to get a better look at the fuzzball, "Awww!" she cooed. Tasuki was giving her his best I-haven't-eaten-in-a-week expression complete with watery eyes and ears that alternately flicked back and forth. "Oh! Look at his ears! They're like little antennae!"

"Uh, mom…" Miaka started to explain that Tasuki wasn't just an overnighter when Keisuke chose that moment to stumble into the kitchen stretching and yawning loudly.

He looked down and saw how enamored Mrs. Yuuki was with Tasuki, "Oh hey mom. Guess you don't mind that he's now a permanent resident, eh?"

Miaka pursed her lips and smacked Keisuke on the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" he whined, rubbing the injured body part like it was going to leave a large welt.

The adoring look quickly melted off of Mrs. Yuuki's face, "Miaka, what did I tell you about getting a dog?" she stood and fisted her hands on her hips and looked sternly at her daughter, "We don't have the time or money to have a pet."

Tasuki had wandered back over to Miaka and put a paw against her leg, asking to be picked up. She obliged him, all the while arguing her case to her mother, "But mom. I already paid for him. I got a discount since I work at the clinic and they gave him his shots and I bought food and everything!"

"I don't want a dog right now, Miaka." Her mother said.

"But…mom. He's already six months old. He's been there since he was a puppy. No one even looks at him. The owners of the clinic even sent him to another city to see if anyone there wanted him and he got sent _back_ because no one wanted him there either!" she held Tasuki up to her mother and put on her best puppy eyes, "Look at that face. How can you resist that?"

Mrs. Yuuki tried not to let the dog's sweet face get to her and failed miserably. "Oooh. Miaka. That's cheating. Alright, look. You can keep him, but when you move out he goes with you. Got it?"

Miaka hummed to herself as she and her mother tidied up the house. She had called in sick today and had helped her mother make the house "Presentable" for when Andy was due to arrive around noon. Not that he hadn't already seen it in its usual disarray…

As it was, she was wanting to go on tour with Andy terribly badly. However, she had a feeling that unless her mother approved of him that she wouldn't be going anywhere no matter how badly she wanted to go. Tasuki trailed Miaka around like a shadow everywhere she went and if she wasn't lost in her thoughts, she talked to him.

"I really wish that he would just remember. That would make everything so much easier. As far as he knows we just met barely a week ago and now I'm already ready to go on tour with him? He must think I'm easy or something." Deep down she knew that wasn't true. But that niggling thought was there nonetheless.

"There she goes again." Miaka sighed, glancing at her mother out of the corner of her eye. She'd been watching her mother all morning. Since she hadn't gotten a very big reaction from her mother about Andy she suspected that her mother was trying to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself. Her mother placed a great deal of pride in being strong. She'd been strong when Miaka's father had been arrested and taken to jail, and she'd been strong when the neighbors ridiculed them for it.

Miaka could tell that her mother was trying to hold it together, but she noticed that every once in a while, Mrs. Yuuki would cast a nostalgic look her way before quickly rubbing her face as though ridding her eyes of tears.

* * *

Miaka glanced sideways at Andy for what seemed to her the umpteenth time. Her green eyes narrowed in slight annoyance as she saw him glancing nervously around the room. They'd only been there for about an hour, but Miaka could count on one hand the number of times that Andy hadn't been acting like a cat surrounded by hunting dogs.

_What's he so nervous about??_ She thought, still eyeing him suspiciously. She jumped when he finally felt her gaze on him and turned those mesmerizing golden eyes on her. Miaka actually had to close her eyes for a second to keep from getting lost in them.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her, looking genuinely concerned and then glancing around quickly as though there were enemies behind every corner.

Miaka looked around, wondering what he was looking for. "Well, it's just that you seem kind of preoccupied. My mom didn't upset you or anything did she?"

He laughed, "Of course not! I expected her to act the way that she did. She's a mother. In fact, I kind of expected her to be worse since I was basing her off of my mom."

Miaka nodded slightly in understanding. Hayai's family was pretty controlling, so Miaka had an idea of what Andy was talking about. Although, she really would like to meet his parents before she made any judgments.

Andy had spent the entire afternoon with Miaka and her mother. Mrs. Yuuki had taken a quick liking to Andy (because Yumi is sadly getting lazy and PROMISED Hayai this would be up in the morning because she's had a bad week) and though she hadn't promised that Miaka could go on tour with Andy, things were looking at least hopeful.

After lunch and much conversation, Miaka's mother had pulled out the photo album. Once Miaka had been thoroughly embarrassed, it was time for the two of them to get ready for the party. Andy had surprised Miaka with the dress from the shop they'd visited earlier that week, and Miaka's mother had helped her get ready.

Once both of them were ready, Miaka's mother had done the typical photo crazy thing before the limo that Andy had arranged to come and get them arrived. Once it finally came, Mrs. Yuuki waved them off with a reminder to have fun.

As Andy mingled with people Miaka could tell he really didn't want to be mingling with, Miaka trailed along behind him. She tugged nervously on her dress, wishing that she wasn't so noticeable while wearing it. She felt so… exposed. Miaka tried to ignore it, she supposed it was another effect of being around people she didn't know and wondering what they thought of her, but she had the _strangest_ feeling that she was being watched.

She glanced around, feeling as though she were looking for a ghost. _Come on, Miaka. You're being paranoid and stupid. Nobody important here probably even notices you. You could dance naked on the refreshment table and no one would notice you. Just… be invisible. Yeah. You do it all the time._

Wasn't working. She still felt those _eyes_!

"Are you alright?"

Startled, Miaka jumped and squeaked. Her hand flew to her chest and she could feel her heart thudding a little more rapidly than normal. She sighed in relief when she realized who had spoken. "Yes of course. Why wouldn't I be, Andy?" she waved him off, trying to be as nonchalant about the weird feeling she was getting as possible. She didn't want to worry Andy. Which was _exactly_ why she hadn't been telling him about the notes.

Even though she hadn't told him about the notes, Miaka could still sense that something was on his mind. Since he was so quiet and had hardly spoken to her so far that night (not that he'd had the time with all the people wanting his attention) her mind began to race. What could he be thinking? Was he worried that she might not decide to go with him on the tour after all? Was he worried that maybe she didn't have as strong of feelings for him as he did for her? Or maybe… maybe he'd decided that she wasn't good enough for him after all. Had he decided that he didn't want her? Did he want Shiko?

Miaka mentally slapped herself.

**_Now you're just being ridiculous!_**

_It's possible!_

**_Is not._****__**

_Is so.___

**_Not infinity._**

_Damn you._

Even with her overactive imagination, Miaka knew that that wasn't it. This was Andy, Hotohori's reincarnation. If there was anything she could be sure of, it was him and his feelings.

She squeezed Andy's hand; wishing that he would remember, but knowing that he likely never would. The thought of that nearly killed her, but she knew that it was likely for the best.

"What's wrong?" Andy's golden eyes looked at her with concern and Miaka smiled.

"Nothing. Just thinking." _Yeah. Like I'm going to tell you I'm mourning your lost memories of a past life. Please. Give me a _little_ credit here!_

A sly look came over Andy's features. Coming from someone such as Andy, the expression should have just looked wrong, or maybe even creepy. However, it only seemed to make him look sexier than he already was. "About what?" He leaned down so that his nose was nearly brushing hers.

Blush. "Nothing." Miaka looked down.

He let out a soft laugh, his breath tickling her ear as he leaned even closer and whispered huskily, "About what might happen on the road?"

Miaka felt her entire face go beet red as a flash of heat swept over her body. In a fit of righteous retribution, she swatted Andy across the chest just hard enough to hear a satisfying SMACK as she half hissed and half laughed in embarrassment, "_You_!"

Feigning injury, Andy put a hand to where she'd hit him, "Me? You've scarred my perfect skin!"

"Miaka!"

Andy and Miaka both turned at the sudden intrusion of a gravelly elderly woman's voice. Andy was surprised and delighted to see that it was the lady who had sold him the bouquet of flowers earlier that week.

But how did _she_ know Miaka?

He glanced at Miaka, expecting an explanation when the girl suddenly squealed and leaped on the elderly woman with a muffled shout of "Taitsukun!"

Miaka released the crone and stared. "What are you doing here?" she just couldn't figure it out. Why would Taitsukun be in Tokyo? Miaka then realized that the Creator was holding a basket full of boutonnières and corsages'made of all kinds of different flowers.

"Hello, Miaka. How are you?" The old woman smiled in what could almost be considered a sneaky way and held out a corsage with a group of purple orchids on it.

"F-fine." Stuttered Miaka. "What are you doing here?" Was the world going to end? Was something wrong in the Universe of the Four Gods?

"Why what does it look like? I'm giving out flowers!" she answered crankily. It was then that she looked past Miaka at Andy, "And you! How did that young lady like those flowers that I helped you pick out?"

Andy grinned and put an arm around Miaka's shoulders and gave her a small squeeze, "She loved them, right Miaka?"

Miaka smiled and nodded, "Yes, they were gorgeous." She eyed Taitsukun, _Why are you selling _flowers

Taitsukun "ahhed" appreciatively and then clapped her hands together, "This is the girl they were for? How wonderful!" she leaned towards Andy—causing him lean farther away—"You see, I used to be Miaka's babysitter! Oh the stories I could tell you…" she rattled on as she fastened the boutonnière to Andy's suit jacket.

Miaka stared, _Babysitter? Well. I suppose that could be considered half true…_

"Ow!" Andy yelped as Taitsukun jabbed him with the pin.__

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, holding back a grin, "Didn't mean to."

Miaka didn't think that was an accident. Maybe Taitsukun was getting Andy back for his previous incarnations first reaction to her? Miaka sighed, she was so confused...

"Ah! There's Kimoto! Let's go meet him." Guiding her with one warm hand placed lightly in the small of her back, which was wreaking havock on Miaka's senses, Andy took her to meet the man that until now she had only heard about.

As they neared where Kimoto stood Miaka could see that he really wasn't all that impressive. He was short, Miaka thought that she might even have an inch or two on him, with a stocky build, slightly chubby, balding, and with a handle bar mustache. Miaka was alternately reminded of Danny DeVito, and Hitler simply because of the mustache and the way he treated Andy. Though now that she saw the guy Miaka had a hard time understanding how someone like Andy could let him get away with anything. He'd faced down bandits, zombies, and Nakago for Suzaku's sake!!

Since she had heard form Andy that the guy was such a totalitarian kind of man, Miaka resolved to keep her mouth shut. Andy loved his music, and the last thing Miaka wanted to do was get him fired because she couldn't keep quiet.

"Kimoto-san!" Andy greeted the man cheerily and Miaka pasted on a smile as she and Andy came to a halt within conversation distance of Kimoto. She stood as close to Andy as she could, shivering slightly because she could feel the heat radiating off of his body.

Kimoto turned from speaking with someone that Miaka pegged as a reporter. He caught sight of Miaka first and raised an eyebrow as though wondering what she wanted. Then he caught sight of Andy and immediately smiled and with a loud roar of a "Hello my boy! Andy!" slapped him on the back heartily causing Andy to nearly be knocked over. He then turned to Miaka with obvious faked politeness, took her hand, and asked, "And who is this lovely young flower?"

Miaka felt like hurling when he kissed her hand, but held it back and smiled as Andy introduced her. She struggled to maintain a pleasant face. Miaka had always had a good sense of people and what they were like after her experiences in the Book World and Kimoto was radiating "slime ball." She resisted wiping her hand off on her dress.

"Ah! Miaka! Andy's told me so much about you. I'm delighted to meet you!"

Miaka tried not to roll her eyes. _Yeah right_. Nonetheless, she smiled, "Really? I've heard lots about you too!"

"Andy, DAHrling!"

Miaka twitched.

Miaka turned to see Shiko literally draped around Andy, a hand playing with his bangs. She cleared her throat noisily and glared at Shiko when the other girl looked at her.

Shiko simply ignored her and went back to cooing in Andy's ear. Finally Andy managed to wiggle away from her as politely as he could and then moved closer to Miaka as if for protection.

Shiko gave Miaka a dirty look and then moved closer to Kimoto in order to greet him. Afterwards she stood next to Kimoto and shot Miaka dirty looks when she thought no one was looking.

Miaka ignored her.

Andy and Kimoto made small talk involving the future of Andy's career while Miaka tried to look like she understood at least _some_ of what was going on. Shiko gave her opinion every once in a while, earning praise from Kimoto and giving Miaka triumphant looks that Miaka wanted nothing more than to swat off of her perfectly made up face.

"ANDY!" Miaka sensed Andy tense up beside her and brace himself as though he expected to be tackled. Miaka blinked, trying to remember where she knew that voice. It finally registered mere seconds before Ayame popped out of the woodwork and latched onto Andy's arm. "Dance with me!"

Andy glanced at Miaka as though he were asking if it was alright if he danced with another girl, but Miaka saw sheer panic in his expression. She was about to make up some sort of excuse when Kimoto guffawed and shoved Andy and Ayame towards where a small band was playing and a few couples were dancing.

"Go on son, dance with the pretty lady." He smiled and looked at Miaka, "I'd like a chance to get to know Miaka better anyway."

Shiko's eyes narrowed and shot daggers at Ayame's back and for once Miaka was in perfect agreement with her. She was sure that if she'd had an X-gene that something terrible would have happened to Ayame by now.

Andy sighed in resignation and allowed Ayame to drag him to the dance floor, all the while looking as though he were being led to his own execution. Miaka was reminded of Proteus from the movie Sinbad.

When Andy was out of earshot, Kimoto turned to Miaka and gestured towards the refreshment table, "Walk with me. Talk with me."

Miaka would rather go bungee jumping without a cord, but as long as there was food involved… She could eat something crunchy and not have to listen! She glanced longingly back towards Andy, missing his presence already, but followed Kimoto nonetheless.

"So. How did you and Andy meet?"

Miaka answered, all the while giving Kimoto sidelong glances, wondering why exactly he wanted to know. Did he have something up his sleeve?

The whole time Kimoto questioned her, Miaka answered truthfully. However, she noticed with annoyance that Shiko insisted on following them everywhere.

"I can see that Andy really likes you. You must be a special girl to have kept him interested this long." He bit into a leg of chicken, the juices dribbling down his chin, "You do realize though that he's leaving in a couple days, right? Long distance relationships haven't usually been known to work out too well."

Shiko piped up, "Andy invited her along on the tour!"

Kimoto's eyebrow's disappeared into his receding hairline, "Oh really?" he looked at Miaka, "Is this true?"

Miaka nodded excitedly. "Yes he did! And I can't wait to meet his family!" she was nearly bouncing in her happiness, "He says he has a couple weeks off in a few months and he wants me to meet his brother." She noticed Kimoto's face twisting into a strange expression, "Why? Is that bad?"

Kimoto laughed unconvincingly, "Bad? Of course it's not bad! Why would it be bad?" he finished his chicken leg and put it back on the plate he'd gotten it from. Miaka wrinkled her nose but didn't say anything.

He appeared to be thinking about how to tell her whatever was on his mind when he burped and then began speaking, "Well. First of all, having an extra mouth to feed would cost me money. Do you have any qualities that could possibly benefit the show? Can you dance? Do you sing?"

Miaka shook her head.

"Well then I'm afraid I can't let you go with. You see, not only would you be useless to me, but for the past week or so, Andy has been… argumentative. Moody." He looked at Miaka, "and I think it's because of you."

Miaka blinked, "Me?

"Yes. Before he met you, he never acted like that. I'm sorry, but I think you're a bad influence on him." He moved to Shiko and put an hand on her shoulder, "Besides, Shiko here's my niece, and I'd like nothing better than for her and Andy to get together. I've been working on it for months! See, Shiko is in the music business. So she understands Andy better than you ever could. Not only that, but they'd make a great marketing couple."

Miaka was flabbergasted. What right did this man think he had to try and control everyone else like that? Since he'd started talking, Miaka had felt her fuse getting shorter and shorter and her face getting hotter and hotter. Her brain told her to stay quiet but her mouth wasn't listening.

"Listen, you pompous, moronic, pig! I know Andy just fine. I can say without a doubt that I understand him better than anyone else. Especially you!" she jabbed Kimoto in the chest, "Or you!" she glared at Shiko. "Did you know that his favorite color is red? That his favorite food is chicken and cheese enchiladas? How about that his birthday is April second? He has two brothers and two sisters and he's closer to his family's nanny that he is to his parents because they were so busy when he was little that he never had the chance to get attached to them?"

Kimoto's deep set eyes widened and he raised his hand as though to hit Miaka, but Shiko grabbed his arm before he could make a move. Miaka wasn't sure if Shiko was protecting another girl from being hit, or if she was protecting Kimoto from getting sued.

Either way, she was on a roll now and would have kept on ranting, but she saw Andy coming back towards them with Ayame on his heels. Miaka shoved past Shiko and Kimoto and walked as fast as she could towards Andy and grabbed his arm, holding in the angry tears she could feel burning her eyes.

Andy followed her without question, seeing that she was upset, but not really knowing why. As soon as they were out of the lobby, Andy directed her to the stairs, planning to take her upstairs to his room where they could have some privacy. When they had climbed to the third floor, Miaka finally let it out.

"That. Man. Is. _The_ . Biggest. _Bastard_. I. Have. _Ever_. Met." she growled as they climbed the stairs.

Andy sighed, "I know. I know."

"It's not fair! Why can't you just get a new manager?"

"Because Kimoto has the power to ruin my career anyway. He could spread all sorts of rumors and probably pay enough people off to agree with him that anything he said would be considered fact."

They'd reached Andy's room and Andy locked the door behind them. That would keep Shiko out-hopefully. Other than that he could only hope that Kimoto didn't send security up. He didn't relish the idea of having his door knocked in.

Miaka made an aggravated sound. "So what?" she turned to Andy, taking off her uncomfortable high heeled shoes as she did so. When he opened his mouth to respond, Miaka cut him off, "I get it that you love the music. I do. I also get that he could ruin it for you." She straightened up, "But I can't help but feel that your unwillingness to ftell him what you want and to shove what he wants up his ass is just a little bit cowardly."

Andy looked hurt and Miaka felt slightly ashamed. The purpose of her rants wasn't to hurt his feelings. She just wanted him to feel he had the power to run his own life.

She sighed and then started pacing. "I don't want to be mean. I really don't. But you've got to get a backbone. In fact… you remind me of someone I used to know." She glanced at Andy and saw that he was simply watching her with those eyes of his. He looked like he was listening, so Miaka went on.

"He was one of my best friends. The one in the picture you saw earlier that looked like you? He was a leader. He knew exactly how to help everyone else get what they want. He was always willing to help everyone else. But he was like you in that he never seemed to want to stand up and do something for himself." She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "Gods. He was one of the most selfless people I've ever known." She blushed and paused, "He, he was in love with me. But I was with Taka and couldn't return his feelings. Do you know how guilty I feel about that? The one thing that he ever wanted for himself, and I was too selfish to think about him." She wiped away a tear that had sneaked down her cheek and saw that Andy was still watching her. "And the thing is, I think I really did love him."

What was she thinking? Here she was with Andy and even though he was Hotohori for all he knew she was talking about some other guy! She flushed, embarrassed and grabbed her shoes.

Heaving a sigh she started towards the door, all the while apologizing. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she felt as though she just had to leave, immediately. "I'm sorry Andy. Look, I'll just go. I'm sorry. I'll… I'll just go now. Goodbye"

* * *

Andy blinked as Miaka started towards the door. In truth, he had been listening to what she was saying, but that dress she was wearing was so very distracting… not to mention that she was fascinating to watch when she got all riled up like she was now.

The red material clung to her curves as she paced across the room and Andy could feel his thoughts taking a less righteous road than they should have. He watched her, feeling like a hunting cat waiting for the right moment to pounce on its unsuspecting prey.

Wait. She was heading toward the door. She wasn't allowed to _leave_!!

* * *

Miaka reached for the chain to unlock the door only to have a large hand cover hers and stop her. She looked over her shoulder only to come face to face with Andy, who was so close that he was nearly pressed up against her.

"Actually. I was hoping that I could convince you… spend the night?

A jolt shot through her at the suggestive tone in his voice and that strange energy that had been building in her for half the night seemed to explode as she turned around and covered Andy's lips with her own.

Taking that as a "yes" Andy scooped Miaka up and carried her back to his bed where she would fall prey to his "suggestions" for the rest of the night.

* * *

AN: Nya! Tranquility Storm and Rae can kill me now! I used the word SEXY!!! Mwahaha! Wondering why they gave the publicity event in the hotel lobby? Because Kimoto's a cheep bastard that's why. I don't remember if I mentioned where this was supposed to be held in previous chapters… So if I did, sorry. I screwed up. Hehe. Also, with Miaka's mom and her accepting Tasuki so easily… This is almost over and I didn't have time for more drama. If I'd maybe thought of adding the dog in earlier I could have done something with that, but as of now it's really too late to do much with it. Sorry drama lovers!! Same thing goes for Mrs. Yuuki and the mothers blessing scene. I forgot about the fact that Miaka would have to deal with her sooner or later early on and didn't remember until I read Kittlynne's The Promise where she did a brilliant job of characterizing Mrs. Yuuki and showing us where Miaka got her personality as well as keeping her in a perfect mother-esque frame. (I love and hate you for that Lynne! jealousjealous ) Also, my romance mojo sorta died, so the last bit is kinda crappy, as well as any other mushy part that should have been in this chapter. As well as basically just giving you guys an outline for the whole Andy meeting Miaka's mother thing. Ah well. Seeing as I'll be rewriting it, I can fix that later. Besides, I WANT TO GET TO THE NEXT CHAPTER _SO SO SO_ BADLY!!! So, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease forgive me! I know I just committed like a cardinal sin and all, but… but… I want to FINISH and then FIX everything! Anyways… heaves a sigh _Almost_ done!! And then it's time for the sequel…. faint _Why_ do I do this to myself???


	16. The Stalker Is REVEALED!

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 16

Yumiko Kaze

Miaka sighed happily as she watched Andy's car drive away. With what she knew was probably a geeky smile she sniffed the collar of the shirt she was wearing—one of Andy's—and was vividly reminded of his touch and soft voice. Memories of the night before danced through her mind and she squealed happily. That had been one of the best nights of her life. Hmn. If she was going to get that every night she was definitely going on tour!

Okay. So it wasn't all about the sex. But it was a nice bonus!

Giggling, Miaka turned and started up the stairs, taking care not to trip herself as she had also borrowed a pair of Andy's pants to wear home. Somehow, though wearing his cloths were slightly more incriminating, they were less noticeable than the dress she had inside the plastic bag she carried.

She knew that she was going to be several different shades of dead when her mother got home that night, but somehow, that seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for the incredible night she and Andy had just had.

As she skipped up the stairs, Miaka knew without a doubt that she loved Andy. She loved him with all her heart. So the fact that neither of them had actually said "I love you" to the other was starting to weigh heavily on her mind.

Did he not love her? Or was he simply waiting for her to say it first? Or maybe he hadn't thought he needed to say it because the fact should have been apparent enough in his actions?

Miaka shook her head as she entered her apartment and kicked the door closed with her foot. She immediately looked for a note from her mother near the door where she usually left one and groaned when she saw that her mother was definitely not happy with her. _"We need to talk." Great. Andy won't need to worry about Kimoto not letting me go on the tour because mother's going to kill me and make sure that the pieces are so scattered that the police will never find them all!_

She was just about to go and let Tasuki out of his kennel when someone cleared their throat. Miaka jumped, surprised, and turned to face the intruder.

* * *

Andy leaned back into the seat of the car as the driver headed back towards the hotel. After last night, he was about as relaxed as relaxed could be. He hadn't really wanted to leave Miaka all alone in her apartment, but Kimoto had insisted on seeing him sometime before lunch.

Even though he'd questioned security while Miaka was still sleeping and they hadn't found anyone or anything that seemed to present danger to Andy or Miaka, he still felt worried when he wasn't there to make sure that she was going to be okay.

A flash of teal and black caught his eye and Andy turned his head to see Taka walking towards Miaka's apartment with his hands in his pockets. Andy felt a strange surge of remorse when he saw Taka. Like he'd stolen his best friends girlfriend or something. He was overcome by the distinct feeling that he should apologize.

"Hey, stop the car." He told the driver. Before the car was entirely stopped, Andy had leaped out of the car and was trotting after Taka.

"Taka!"

The other man stopped, recognizing Andy's voice, and turned to look at him with some sort of cross between anger and sadness in his eyes.

"What do you want?" Taka muttered, turning to face Andy.

Andy stopped, noting that they were still fairly close to Miaka's apartment, before running a hand nervously through his hair and looking down. Unsure of what to say now that he had Taka's attention.

"Where're you going?" Andy asked, afterwards mentally slapping himself for asking such a stupid question.

Taka glared, "I was going to Miaka's. I wanted to talk to her about the last week. I wanted to try and patch things up between us."

"Erm." Andy paused, "Look. I don't really know how to say this, but… I'm sorry." He looked down and to the side, unwilling to meet Taka's eyes.

"For what?" Taka asked, not sure he was going to like the answer.

Andy sighed, "For… for taking Miaka away from you." He had just enough time to see Taka's body tense up in his peripheral vision to realize that he should be standing a little further away.

Andy's eyes widened and then snapped shut as Taka's fist suddenly blocked out the rest of the world. Pain exploded in his nose and eyes as he clamped a hand over his face and doubled over in pain from the blow that had caught him in the stomach. He hadn't even seen that one coming!

He sucked in air and straightened, taking his hand away from his face and saw that it was covered in blood. Andy glared, a sort of primal feeling sweeping all consciousness aside as he felt his body readying itself for a fight.

Taka stood there, looking half proud of himself for having drawn blood and half astounded that he had actually taken that first swing. He glanced at his knuckles which were stained with red.

Andy tried to wipe the blood away with the back of his hand. Taka was _so_ going to pay for that…

* * *

"Ayame?" Miaka frowned. "What are you doing here?"

The other girl was leaning against the far wall of the apartment. Miaka wondered idly why she hadn't seen her when she first walked in. The other girl had changed out of the dress she had been wearing the night before into jeans and a black t-shirt.

Even though Miaka was normally on good terms with Ayame, something about the way that the other girl was positioned, something about her body language and expression, made Miaka's blood run cold.

"Ayame, are you feeling alright?" Miaka asked, even as she backed towards the door. Some deep set survival insistence was screaming at Miaka to run. Get the hell out of that apartment and run like hell.

However, Miaka also had the feeling that she shouldn't make any sudden moves. After all, you never ran from anything that had predator instincts, and everything about Ayame at the moment was screaming "predator." Miaka was amazed at how different she seemed from her normal self.

Ayame's eyes narrowed as Miaka neared the door, "And where do you think you're going?" she hissed. Faster than Miaka would have thought the other girl could move, Ayame had crossed half of the apartment and had produced a handgun. Miaka wondered idly where she had hidden it in the first place. Was the girl related to Heero Yuy?

Miaka halted instantly. After all, Ayame was the one with the gun and Miaka didn't want to provoke her into firing it. She could feel her heart beating harshly against her rib cage and had a hard time resisting the urge to run, or at least try to hide behind the couch. Something!

"So where were you last night?" Ayame asked casually, lowering the gun and leaning casually against the nearest wall.

Miaka froze. Ayame had been waiting for her here all night? The note!

"You sent me those notes?" Miaka half asked, half accused.

"Of course." Ayame's dark eyes narrowed and seemed to be shooting sparks, "Andy is mine! You wouldn't even have known who he was if it weren't for me! I've loved him ever since his first album came out. What gives you the right to just suddenly sweep in and try to steal him away?" Ayame's voice rose louder and louder and with it her actions grew more and more erratic. Miaka flinched every time she waved the hand that held the gun, afraid that it would go off at any second.

Miaka glanced around, for a moment worried that Ayame might have done something to her mother. Remembering that her mother had left her a note though, Miaka relaxed a bit. At least her mom was okay.

"Answer me!" Ayame hissed, pointing the gun at Miaka and taking off the safety, "What gives you the right to take him away from me?"

Miaka's mind raced and her heart seemed ready to pound its way right out of her chest. It was obvious that Ayame's state of mind was just a tad bit less than sane, and Miaka was unsure of how to handle the situation_. Lie!_ Her mind screamed. _Lie!_

Swallowing, Miaka held a hand out in a friendly gesture, "I never wanted to take him away from you, Ayame." She tried to steady her breathing, she knew she wasn't qualified for talking down a mental case with a gun, but it wasn't like she had any other choice at the moment. "I knew you liked him. You talked about him all the time." Miaka swallowed nervously again. Suddenly her lips felt incredibly dry and she wet them, "I'm sorry, Ayame. I thought you were okay with it. You never said anything." Miaka looked at the other girl with wide eyes, hoping that she would buy it. After all, it was true.

Ayame's face twitched slightly, like she was having some sort of internal battle before her hand tightened on the gun and she took a step closer to Miaka, "That's a lie!" she shouted.

Miaka felt a wave of cold fear wash over her. If she didn't find a way out of this, she was going to die. Ayame was far enough away that it would be impossible, not to mention stupid to try and wrench the gun away from her. However, she was also close enough that Miaka decided she should continue with her attempt at talking Ayame into either putting the gun down, or handing it over to her.

Trying to appeal to Ayame as a non-threatening figure, as her friend, Miaka took a small step closer, noticing that her hand was shaking slightly. "Ayame. I'm your friend. As your friend if you had told me how you felt about Andy, I would have backed off." Green eyes stared into brown, willing the other girl to believe her.

Miaka saw Ayame's eyes water slightly. Thinking that she was getting somewhere, Miaka continued, "Ayame, just put the gun down and we can talk about this, okay?" Miaka kept her eyes on Ayame's, but in her peripheral vision could see that Ayame's hand was shaking. The gun's barrel wavered back and forth.

Ayame scowled, "No!" she gun raised up a bit higher, so that now it was pointed at Miaka's face. Miaka's eyes widened and she took a step back in surprise.

"You aren't my friend." Ayame growled, "You don't think of anybody but yourself!"

Miaka wondered for a moment what the other girl was talking about, but didn't have to wait long before Ayame's story came spilling out.

"You're just playing Andy. The only reason you want him is because he's famous. What do you even know about him? I know everything about him! I've read every magazine article, every book!" tears of anger were streaming down Ayame's face.

"You may act like a good two shoes, but I know that you'll only hurt Andy in the end." Ayame's eyes darkened, "Just like you hurt Taka."

Miaka couldn't stop herself, "How did I hurt Taka? What are you talking about?"

Ayame trembled, still keeping the barrel trained on Miaka, "I heard him talking to Shiko the other night in the coffee shop. Do you realize how much he loves you? How much you've hurt him? You'll only do the same thing to Andy, and I can't let that happen!" her fingers tightened on the trigger.

The gun fired.

Miaka screamed.

* * *

AN: Nyahahaha! Finally! I get to the actiony scenes! I so happy! First time in a great great while since my DBZ phase at writing action stuff. And that was with Ki blasts… so tell me how I did with this chapter. Nyahaha. Now, Off to right the next chappy! I COULD have just extended this chapter, but that wouldn't be any fun for me, now would it? This way I get agonized "Nuu! Not ANOTHER cliffhanger!" reviews!


	17. Wow This one's short

AN: Yeah. Somebody said it was too bad I didn't show the morning after… blush I don't have problem's _reading_ stuff like that but when it comes to the actual writing of… that kind of stuff, even just the right before and right after scenes, I get completely embarrassed and I just can't seem to write it. Boyfriendless Wonder here has never been in a relationship so… yeah. When I finish this and start revising I'll try harder with those scenes. wrinkles nose And hope mom doesn't come in and wonder what I'm doing. :P

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 17

Yumiko Kaze

Miaka slowly opened one eye. _I'm alive?_ She had flung herself backward when the gun had fired and was sitting curled up by the door in a fetal position with her hands protecting her head. She blinked, realizing that she wasn't bleeding; her head just hurt a bit from its recent encounter with the wall.

Glancing to the side Miaka saw that one of her mother's vases that had been sitting on a shelf ten feet to the side was now shattered into a million pieces. Green eyes wide, Miaka turned to see Ayame standing, looking equally as shocked as Miaka that she had actually fired.

_Boy am I lucky she's a bad shot._ Miaka thought.

Ayame stared at the gun as though it were a foreign object. She hadn't actually ever meant to shoot. Her purpose in coming here had been that she wanted to scare Miaka into dumping Andy. She had just gotten so overcome by emotions that she had lost control and in her shaking had accidentally fired.

That was when the door flew open and two bodies came hurling through it.

Jumping at the noise as well as the sudden motion, Ayame turned and fired twice.

This time her aim was dead on.

* * *

Andy and Taka sprinted up the stairs of the apartment, cursing the fact that Miaka didn't live on the ground floor. They had heard the gun shot and Miaka's scream and had immediately forgotten their fight and rushed to see what was going on.

Taka pounded up the last flight of stairs. The seishi instinct had overtaken him and the adrenaline was pumping through his veins in preparation to protect his priestess.

A feeling that Andy couldn't quite place was surging through him. In a sense it felt vaguely familiar, like something was calling him—pulling him would be a better term—and he simply could not refuse.

Taka was the first to reach the door and flung it open and barged in.

Andy followed him, at the same time reaching for something at his waist that wasn't there. He disregarded what he had just done, standing shoulder to shoulder with Taka and taking stock of the scene that they had just walked in on.

He had just enough time to see Ayame standing in the middle of the room with a handgun before two more shots rang out. Andy turned, prepared to leap away from the bullet as well as looking for Miaka. Somehow, her safety was really all that mattered to him.

But he was too slow.

"Miaka!" Andy's golden eyes widened in surprise as the bullet neared. Everything had seemed to go into slow motion. It seemed that he could see the air ripples around the bullet as it sped towards him.

FLASH.

_The bullet was no more, and what was bearing down on him seemed alternately completely surreal and yet so much more formidable than mere metal. A blue ball of cold fiery energy filled his vision as he struck true with the blade of his sword. The ki danced over his skin and through his body like a strange sort of electricity, burning muscle and sinew and rendering them useless even as he fell from his horse and could hear the sickening crunch of bone as he hit the ground._

_Even as he fell before the blonde man before him, one face was clear in his mind. Her green eyes glowed with life and her hair blew freely with the wind._

_Miaka… _

FLASH.

The bullet hit. It drove itself without mercy into the flesh, tearing through blood vessels and tissue. Andy cried out in pain as it nicked a bone and fractured it.

He wasn't sure if it was an attempt to get away from the bullet, or the momentum from getting shot, but he fell backwards. He grimaced as he hit the wall and slid down it, leaving a bloody trail as he went.

Andy could hear Taka and Miaka somewhere nearby, shouting incoherently. He saw Ayame standing in the middle of the apartment, holding the gun that had obviously been the source of the noise had and Taka had come to investigate, not to mention Miaka's scream.

Andy blinked as he put a hand to the wound from which blood was rapidly escaping and frowned. Was all of that coming out of him? There was so much of it…

FLASH.

_Miaka was lying there, her shirt torn open, Nuriko bent over her, trying hurriedly to stop the bleeding. She had done this to herself to save her friends. Without worry for her own well-being, Miaka had bled herself in order to give them the chance to survive._

_So much blood…_

FLASH.

Andy put a hand to his head. All of the memories and thoughts in his head were so disjointed. None of them made any sense. What was wrong with him anyway? None of those things had ever happened. Was his mind making these things up because he'd lost so much blood?

Andy moved as though to get up, but suddenly his body felt as though it were made of lead. The edges of his vision were going gray and it seemed like he had suddenly gone deaf. His head and most of his body felt as though it were on fire.

The grayness crept over him, and within seconds Andy had passed out.

* * *

Ayame screamed when she saw what she had done, her hands flew to her mouth and she dropped the gun. Her entire attention was trained on Andy as he slid down the wall and struggled to get up, pale as death and looking as though he were going to be ill.

Taka stared, knowing that he should do something but too shocked at seeing his fellow seishi fall to move. It was only when he heard Ayame make some sort of whimpering noise that he could tear his eyes away from the scene before him.

His eyes met Ayame's horror stricken ones. Taka was unsure whether to attack the girl or what. He was vaguely aware of pain in his arm where the second bullet had nicked him.

His decision was made for him.

A ceramic lamp connected with Ayame's skull with a very satisfying CRACK. The lamp shattered, the peices raining down and getting caught in Ayame's hair like strange snowflakes. Taka saw Ayame's eyes go wide in surprise before closing as she slumped to the floor.

"Miaka?" Taka stared.

Miaka stood over Ayame, bleeding hands curled into fists and ready to pummel Ayame if she appeared to be awake. Nudging her wither toe to make sure that Ayame was completely out Miaka looked at Taka, face determined and eyes as hard as stone, "No one else is going to die because of me."

* * *

AN: Wow. This goes on record as one of the shortest chapters I've written. Heh.

So, Hayai. Now do you why I thought it was funny? You actually guessed what was going to happen—though you didn't believe that I would actually let poor Andy get shot. Kudos to you! Your psychic reading skills are improving!!


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Yes. I am a cruel cruel human being. Actually, according to some I'm not even human.

Anyways. Sorry I was away for so long. The new semester came and I needed a job so now I'm working from 11 to 4 and then going to school at night five nights a week. My weekends end up devoted to schoolwork and friends. Sorry, but I'm trying to have a life here!

Quick question, has anyone seen Ella Enchanted? And was anyone reminded of Andy, Miaka, and Ayame??? I was and it had me rolling in stitches on Anwe's basement floor!! And when asked, "Prince Char! Can you run fast?" he answered, "No, why?" and then got chased by his fan club led by Hattie. I can see Andy being stupid enough to say the exact same thing!!

looks back at chapter 17 Wow. That thing needs some serious revamping… I'll do that later. You guys have waited for this chapter quite long enough.

On with the fic!

* * *

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 18:

Yumiko Kaze

"What do you mean, 'no visitors'?" Miaka bristled as she glared at the plump nurse who was now, and had the previous five times Miaka had asked, refusing to let her into see Andy.

"Just like it sounds. _No. Visitors._ His manager was informed not long after Andy arrived of his condition and told us not to allow anyone not on the list to see him." The nurse, Linda from the looks of her name tag, raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Look girlie. I realize he's a famous singer and all and that seeing him would be really fun for you to brag about to all your friends, but do I need to call security on you or can you find your own way down the hall and to the exit?"

Miaka felt her temper ready to snap. She had had to drive herself to the hospital after the ambulance had come and taken Andy and Taka away to be treated. There hadn't been any extra room. Besides, someone had had to stay to make sure that Ayame didn't wake up and bolt before the police could arrest her. Miaka felt proud that _that_ hadn't been an issue. Ayame didn't even move the entire time—Miaka gave herself a pat on the back for having clocked her _that_ hard.

After watching Ayame get handcuffed and loaded into the police vehicle, Miaka had been questioned about the entire incident which led to pretty much the entire week (minus the juicier details) being spilled out to the police reporter and in less than half an hour the story was going to be all over the news.

"Fine." Miaka hissed as she turned and stomped down the hallway. She'd wanted to see Andy first, seeing as he was the one she was in love with and that he'd been hurt worse, but she supposed she could go and see Taka until Andy came around and started asking for her. Then she'd get to flounce past _Linda_ like she owned the place. Hmph.

Wow did that make her sound like a brat.

Oh well. She was _entitled_ to being bratty once in a while. Besides, she'd just been _shot_ at and _Linda_ was treating her like something she'd stepped in.

"Hey!" a ahnd landed on her shoulder and Miaka yelped and whirled around.

"Taka! Don't _do_ that!" she hissed, swatting at him and growling before realizing that she'd just taken aim at his injured arm.

Taka's eyes bugged and he bit his lip as he grabbed his arm and rocked slightly, trying, no doubt, to hold back a flood of Tasuki-like language. The seishi. Not the dog.

Miaka's hands flew to her mouth, "OmigodI'msosorry!" came out in a rush of nearly indistinguishable words. "Does it hurt? I mean, did I hurt you? Er, did I make it hurt worse? I'm _sorry_!"

Trying to blink back the tears of pain, Taka swallowed and straightened. "It's nothing. Just a flesh wound." Taka said, moving his arm and flexing it experimentally only to wince in pain. "Okay. Maybe it hurts just a _little_."

"Miaka!"

Miaka and Taka both swiveled to see Yui and Yumiko running towards them. Well, okay, fast walking…

The blonde and the brunette came skidding to a halt stuttered breathlessly in unision, "Are you alright? We heard what happened on the news!"

Miaka looked at her best friends and her coworker, "Did you two come together?"

Yumiko waved a hand, "Nah. I saw what happened on the TV at work and because I'm the only one willing to drive like a maniac to get here and see what was going on… I left work early and came here."

Yui fisted her hands on her hips, "Does a best friend need a reason?"

"Of course not!" Miaka threw herself at Yui and hugged her so tightly that Yui thought her head was going to go flying.

Yumiko glanced at the best friends and then over at Taka, "What are you doing here?" she glared. "The news didn't say anything about any _dogs_ being hurt in the crossfire."

Taka's eyes narrowed, trying to look angry rather than offended. "What do you mean what am _I_ doing here, what are you doing here?" he looked down his nose at Yumiko, "I didn't think they let pets in here without a leash!"

Yui glanced at the two as they continued to squabble. "Do they always do that?"

Miaka sighed, "Pretty much. They hate each other."

* * *

Blackness. Everywhere.

Andy was confused.

Where was he?

What had he been doing, and where was he supposed to be?

Was he dead?

The questions flitted out of his head as quickly as they entered it.

And then, the blackness began to fade, and he began to see that he was in a strange ancient looking city, being carried upon some sort of platform. Andy could feel generously stuffed pillows surrounding him and reached out to touch the richly colored fabrics that hung around him, hiding him from the public view.

Beautiful. But certainly nothing that he remembered owning.

The people around him stared and he felt slightly uncomfortable under their scrutiny. Why were they looking at him? What was going on?

"Can I please have one of the jewels from your crown?"

Startled, he glanced down and saw Miaka running alongside the palanquin with her hands outstretched for said jewel.

In all his life he had never had anyone ask him for anything like that before. He was stunned speechless. There was something familiar about this situation; though he could not put his finger on exactly what.

He saw the stone before she did. He was about to voice a warning but it was too late. Miaka had tripped and had grabbed onto one of the curtains for balance. He placed a hand against his forehead in exasperation. Now those stupid overzealous guards (wait, since when did he have guards?) of his were going to overreact as usual…

Andy let out a long slow breath. His head was hurting. This was a memory, he knew, but whose memory? This had certainly never happened to him. He'd never seen a city that looked remotely like this. Why was everyone dressed so strangely? The thoughts had just entered his head when he realized that he already knew. This was the city of Eio in the country of Konan and he was the countries fifth Emperor.

The scene began to fade and he suddenly felt a sharp stab of fear lance through him. He wanted to see more. The strangeness of suddenly remembering things that he'd never remembered before and being thrown into a world of which he knew nothing was simply frightening. Where had Miaka gone? She was the only thing that he remembered from his real life and yet she somehow belonged here in these strange new memories of his. Whatever was going on he had a feeling that Miaka was at the center of it all.

His fears faded when the scene began to bleed into another one and he immediately caught sight of Miaka—and Taka? No… another name was coming to mind… Tamahome?

He glanced to each side and realized he was sitting on a throne. His throne. The throne that he secretly hoped to share one day with the young lady before him. Though she didn't know about that yet.

"Not me. I can't be the Priestess. I'm just a normal high school student. Just Miaka Yuuki."

Priestess? Miaka had never said anything about being a Priestess. He didn't completely understand what was going on and yet… more memories were flooding into his mind and supplying him with the information he needed to make sense of it all. Miaka was a girl from another world who had been chosen by Suzaku to find the ancient text of the Shinjintenchisho and become the Priestess of Suzaku—the one who had been prophesized to save his country, Konan.

Again, the scene began to bleed out and into another one and before Andy knew it he was sitting in a bedchamber, his bedchamber, and listening to Miaka tell him that one of the other Seishi, Nuriko, was in love with him. To the part of him that was Andy, things were becoming clearer and clearer all the time. And not just about what he was remembering.

"I just thought you should know. It's always nice to know that someone nearby loves you."

Before he could get a grip on anything the scene changed again, faster this time, to a mountain and he was sitting near Miaka in all the serenity that nature had to offer.

"Fly free. Go anywhere, be anyone you want to!"

Now he knew why Miaka had always had such a calming affect on him and why she'd always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. She'd already known him—and apparently she was still trying to teach him to be himself. You think after a lifetime he would have learned something…

And then, the scene changed again, this time lightening quick to a barrage of things that Andy doubted he would have wanted to remember.

Miaka with Tamahome.

Miaka kissing Tamahome.

And worst of all…

Miaka loving Tamahome.

…and not him.

And yet, he'd never stopped trying. Faster and faster the memories flooded his consciousness. He'd proposed to her. He'd nearly killed Tamahome for her.

He'd died for her.

And she'd never loved him.

* * *

"Miaka!" Andy's eyes flew open. He rolled over, thirsty and looking for the porcelain water pitcher that was always by his bedside.

And paused.

This wasn't the royal bedchamber!

And it wasn't his hotel room either!

Where the hell was he?

Oh. That was right. He'd been shot.

Where was Miaka? Was she alright? What had happened after he blacked out?

Thanks to his newly returned Seishi senses, he could tell that wherever Miaka was at the moment that she was fine. That was enough to put him at ease for the moment, although it didn't mean that he was any less excited about wanting to see her.

He glanced down at the ugly paper gown that the hospital had provided and grimaced. Pulling at the neck of it he inspected his shoulder and winced at the red stained bandage that was wrapped around the wound. He poked at it to see how much pain he'd be in and was pleasantly surprised to find that whatever pain medication they had him on was definitely working.

Still a tad disoriented from his recent Matrix like memory download, Andy sighed and flopped back down to lie in the extremely uncomfortable hospital bed.

If Miaka hadn't loved him before, then why was she with him now? The part of him that was Andy Wong thought that the answer was completely obvious; however, the part of him that was Hotohori and remembered exactly how much Miaka and Tamahome had gone through to be together just couldn't fathom why they weren't still together.

He would be the first to admit that he was just a little bit of a romantic at heart. Yes, he would like to believe that love lasted forever. It was how he had survived growing up in the palace with so many cold adults surrounding him. He'd outwardly learned to act like the little adult that they wanted and needed to have as their ruler. On the inside though he'd coveted and protected the part of himself that was still very open and very childlike and very ready for love. He had thought that Miaka would be the one to give him that.

But it was not to be.

Hotohori knew that he was in love with Miaka. Knew that he always would be. But he also knew that Miaka was not in love with him.

They say that if you love someone you should let them go.

Well that's what he had done.

He jumped a bit, jolted out of his thoughts, when the door opened to reveal a nurse in green scrubs and carrying a clipboard.

"Oh hello! Is the pain medication working?"

"Very well, thank you." Andy nodded and then peered at the door. "Where's Miaka?"

The nurse pursed her lips and then patted his foot condescendingly. Andy looked at where she'd touched him and made a mental note to clean himself later. Who said she could touch him? (okay, our little Emperor is having way too much of a relapse here…) "The Doctor says you shouldn't have visitors for a few hours. We need to see how you're doing. We didn't have your medical records, so we have to monitor you to make sure that you don't have any bad reactions to the medicine."

Andy nodded like he understood before asking for some paper and a pen. He knew that Miaka would be in sooner or later. While he waited he'd write. After all, it wasn't everyday that a man remembered he had a past life. Nevermind one where he was in love with the same girl he was in love with now. The whole concept was giving the part of him that was Andy the songwriter something entirely new to write a song about.

* * *

"What do you mean _no visitors_?!" Yui half screeched as she and Miaka tried to covertly peek around the corner to where Andy's room was.

Mimicking the nurse from earlier Miaka made a face and repeated "His manager specifically told us, _no visitors_!!" while shaking her finger menacingly.

"Well that's stupid!" Yui growled, trying to ignore the sounds of Taka and Yumiko arguing behind them.

"Are those actually guards?" asked Miaka as she stared down the hall toward Andy's room. "They actually put guards outside his room?"

"I guess they'd have to, with nutcases like Ayame running around." Yui answered.

"So how do we get in?" asked Miaka.

"Why are you asking me? I'm the good student that's never done a thing wrong in my entire academic career!!" Yui hissed.

Miaka wracked her brain for the solution to their problem. Neither she nor Yui knew how to sneak into anyplace, and Taka was practically up for citizen of the year award so….

"Yumi!" Miaka hissed.

"Eh?" distracted from her constant bickering with Taka, the other girl finally gave Yui and Miaka her full attention. "What?"

"You've been suspended, right?"

Yumiko looked confused for a second, "For fighting, yeah. Why?"

Miaka glanced back down the hallway at the guards. "Do you think you could take those guards?"

Yui rolled her eyes and smacked Miaka on the head, "You moron! She's as short and as tiny as you are! There's no way she could take them! Right Yumi?" When Yui didn't get an answer she blinked and then realized what had happened.

A look down the hall confirmed it. Yumiko was actually going to try and take down two men that were at least three times her size. What kind of gene pool had she and Miaka come from?

"Cripes, Miaka! You didn't tell me she was as _stupid_ as you too!"

Taka raised an eyebrow as the three of them (the cowards) watched Yumiko head towards what would surely be the death of her. They watched as Yumiko increased her speed, actually jogging right up to the bigger of the two guards, tapping him on the shoulder and….

"Excuse me, Sir. Can you direct me to the bathroom? I don't feel so-" suddenly Yumiko grabbed the man's arm for balance and blinked rapidly a few times before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell limply to the ground. The guard knelt to check her pulse just as she began to jerk and writhe on the floor.

"Yumi?" Miaka squeaked, starting forward to see if her friend was hurt or not only to be stopped by Taka. "Hey! What are you doing? She could be hurt! I think she's having a seizure or something!"

Taka rolled his eyes, "That girls head is so hard it'd take a house falling on it to give her a headache." He looked at both Yui and Miaka who stared at him as though he'd grown a second head.

"What are you saying?" asked Yui.

"I'm saying that that was so _fake_! I've never seen a worse acting job in my life!"

Faking it? Why was she faking…?

Oooooohh.

"I get it!" Yui grabbed Taka's hand and snapped, "Play along." And drug him towards the writhing Yumiko. Over her shoulder she hissed, "Use the distraction to sneak into Andy's room!"

Miaka nodded, waiting by the corner as she watched the four of them trying to hold down Yumiko as she thrashed—no doubt trying to kick Taka at least once. While all of them were focused on Yumiko, Miaka began to sneak towards the door.

Closer. Closer...

She was almost there when…

"You!"

Miaka froze and looked to see who had spoken.

Of course it was Kimoto.

"When did you get here?! Why haven't they kicked you out of the building yet?" Kimoto scowled and stormed up to where Miaka was standing, not seeing—or not caring—that he had just stepped on Yumiko's hand on his way there.

Momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be acting, Yumiko sat straight up and whacked Kimoto on the leg (the only part of him she was close enough to to smack) and snapped, "Hey, you jerk!"

Miaka's heart stopped. _Damn_. They were so busted now.

Yumiko didn't seem to realize what she'd done until one of the guards hauled her to her feet and clamped a big hand on her shoulder. "You're coming with us miss." He then turned to Taka, Yui, and Miaka. "And so are you three."

Taka sighed as he and Yumiko were led away by the same guard and turned to look over his shoulder as the second guard began trying to herd Miaka and Yui towards the exit.

Miaka tried to dig her heels into the smooth linoleum floors as the guard started to drag her away by the arm. "Wait! Wait! Mr. Kimoto! Can I at least just see him? You don't even have to let me talk to him. I just want to make sure that he's alright! I mean, he got himself shot trying to protect me from Ayame! He'll think I'm an ungrateful cur if I don't see him and at least say thank you!"

Kimoto's chest puffed out as he sucked in an angry breath. "Exactly the point! All of this is your fault! I knew you were trouble the moment Andy told me about you! Stuffing the boys head with all those silly ideas of yours! Do you have any idea how this is going to affect his career? How is he going to be able to hold a guitar at tonight's farewell show?" Kimoto's small shark like eyes bit into Miaka's and she flinched.

Since when had there been a farewell concert? Miaka hadn't heard of one being planned. At least Andy had never mentioned it. Unless of course this was one of those things that Kimoto had planned without even so much as informing Andy what was going on.

"I suppose that he'll just have to grin and bear it. I mean, over two thousand tickets have been sold already. I can't just cancel the show. What kind of manager would that make me?" Kimoto prattled on while he followed the guard as he escorted Yui and Miaka out of the building.

As soon as the four of them had been thrown out of the building, Miaka snorted and started towards her car. No way in Hell that Kimoto was going to keep her from Andy. Oh he might have succeeded for the moment, but she was going to see him before he left. She had finally made her decision. She was going to go on tour with Andy. She was going to be with the man she loved. And nobody was going to stop her.

"Miaka!" Yui called, immediately dashing after her friend, leaving Yumiko and Taka by themselves.

Yumiko eyed Taka curiously. "Aren't you going after her too?"

Taka stared after Miaka and sighed. Turning his eyes to the ground he scuffed his shoe back and forth. "Nah." He looked up, eyes meeting Yumiko's and smiled, showing a touch of a humorous side that Yumiko had never seen before. "I'd just get in the way. Besides." He winced. "The pain medicine they gave me is wearing off and I need to go to the drug store."

Yumiko nodded like she understood his thinking, "Ah." and headed towards her car.

When Taka didn't move from where he stood Yumiko looked at him and frowned. "You just gonna stand there all day?"

Taka blushed and muttered, "A-actually…I kind of need a ride."

* * *

Andy glanced up when he heard the door open and inwardly groaned when he saw who it was. He glanced behind Kimoto, hoping to see Miaka and was vastly disappointed to see that his manager was alone—though looking strangely out of breath; like he'd just given a long and windy lecture to someone.

"How are yeh, feeling my boy?" Kimoto made his way over to Andy's bed and seated himself at the edge of it. "It looks like that girl did a pretty good job on you." He said, eyeing Andy's bandage and frowning.

Andy made a face and experimentally rotated his shoulder. "I suppose she did, but it doesn't really hurt. The medicine they gave me works wonders. I can't feel a thing."

"Great!" crowed Kimoto, "that means you can still play at tonight's farewell concert! I was just about ready to cancel it! So many fans of yours would have been so disappointed! You're a real trooper, Andy!"

Andy blinked. "What show?"

Kimoto hit himself on the forehead with a palm, "Oh that's right! You were spending so much time with that Miaka girl this week I never got a chance to tell you about it!" and thus, Kimoto flew into a long and drawn out explanation of what he'd planned out for Andy to do for the next three months or so.

"And then we'll go to Rome. Some sculptor might even make a statue of you. Isn't that exciting?"

Andy sighed, "And when do I get to go home to see my family? You said I was going to have time off to spend with my family. I haven't seen my brothers and sisters for nearly a year! And I wanted Miaka to meet them too."

_And I really don't want to go to __Rome__. I don't want to go to __Spain__. Or __France__ At least not singing the crap that you've forced down my throat._

Well. Miaka had been telling him to stand up for himself and tell other people what he wanted. He supposed that that was a good enough start. He had omitted the second half because he hadn't wanted to press his luck.

"By the way, where is Miaka? She hasn't been in to see me yet. I'm getting kind of worried."

Kimoto steepled his fingers and heaved a deep sigh, "Son, I'm sorry to have to tell you this…but the girl was here earlier. I saw her in the hallway. She was with some blue haired lad. Her old boyfriend I expect from the story I've heard. In any case, I saw her leaving with him as I arrived."

Eyes glinting strangely, Kimoto smiled, "I asked her if she'd seen you yet and she said that you were still under anesthetic and that she'd call back later after you'd had time to come around. I think the whole incident was just too much for her. She said that she was going home to take a nap and that she'd call you after she woke up."

Andy nodded. So that's why she hadn't been in yet. It made sense.

"Is that all? I have a few things to take care of before tonight's show. I'll be back later to pick you up."

Satisfied, Andy laid back and again picked up his pencil and paper, waiting for a phone call that would never come.

To Be Continued…

* * *

Next Time, on WWMA: The Startling and Adorable Conclusion to our story! (followed by an Epilogue…)

rolls on floor I'm almost done! Almost!

AN: Also, someone sometime asked me in a review if I was a professional writer. Sadly, no I am not. sigh Though I very much want to be. wracks brain I think it was Chepot that asked me that? BTW thank you very much for thinking I'm that good. Makes me feel all loved and fuzzy inside! Just curious, but if I went through with some plans I started to rewrite this fic as an original story and somehow actually got it published, how many of you would actually buy a copy and would you recommend reading it to other people??

Just curious. Cuz if I could get it published that'd be awesome. holds out a hat Come, come, just put your money right here… it'd be paying for my college education!


	19. The Origin of Love

We Will Meet Again

Chapter 19: The Origin of Love

Yumiko Kaze

"Miaka, are you hungry?" Yui asked, craning her neck to look at the brunette who was sprawled at the other end of the couch. The police were still investigating the Yuuki's apartment as a crime scene and so Miaka and Yui had quickly rescued Tasuki (who had been safe in his kennel the entire time) and gone to Yui's apartment. After informing Keisuke and Mrs. Yuuki via cell phone about what had happened, Miaka and Yui had collapsed on the couch in Yui's living room.

Miaka wrinkled her nose and muttered something as she stared blankly across the room. Now that the adrenaline rush from the morning had worn off, Miaka's body was making it known exactly how exhausted it was. Not to mention that Miaka's brain was still having a hard time wrapping itself around the whole concept of what had happened over the last week.

_I can't believe that it was Ayame._ The other girl had always been friendly to her. They'd joked and hung out around the kennel since the younger girl had started not too long ago. Although… Miaka had always thought that the other girl's obsession with Andy Wong was just a little bit annoying. Not to mention that Ayame had seemed to be able to convince herself extremely quickly that she was in love with said star.

The other girls that they worked with had seemed to be equally annoyed with Ayame about that. Only talking to her if it was necessary or they felt they needed to be polite. Miaka had felt pretty much the same way, but at the same time she felt that she needed to be nice to Ayame because no one else was.

The police had discovered that Ayame had stolen her father's gun (that he kept for protection purposes) and entered the Yuuki's apartment by climbing up the fire escape and breaking in through a window in the living room. They had also suggested that Ayame was suffering from psychological problems, though they could not specify what exactly. Yumiko had suggested obsessive compulsive disorder.

Miaka absently stroked Tasuki's fur as he curled up on her stomach. She had left the hospital semi-willingly only because she had already been formulating a plan to see Andy before he left Tokyo. Unfortunately, her plan was soon derailed when she discovered that the tickets for the show were all sold out.

Sighing, Miaka rolled her head to the side to face Yui and finally answered, albeit not in her usual perky voice. If one were to ask Yui, she would have said that Miaka sounded downright depressed. "Sorry Yui. I'm not hungry."

"Miaka. You haven't eaten since last night. You have to be hungry. You're always hungry." Yui pointed out as she forced herself to get up off the couch and start rummaging around the apartment looking for something that resembled food.

She couldn't believe that she had just mentioned food and Miaka had barely moved.

That was definitely cause to worry.

Miaka _never_ refused food.

* * *

_Why hasn't she called me yet?_ Andy wondered as he watched the doctor sign the release forms. Kimoto had told him that Miaka would call him later at around eleven that morning. Well. It was later. Andy glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was already three in the afternoon.

Well. If she hadn't called by now, then he should probably call her. Quickly dialing her home number and putting the cell to his ear, Andy fidgeted nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waited for her to answer. It occurred to him that the police might possibly still have the apartment closed as a crime scene, but he had no other way to reach Miaka.

_Come on. Pick up._ He begged as the phone range for the fifth time. He waited two more rings before finally giving up. Sighing, Andy wracked his brain for somewhere else that he might be able to reach Miaka.

"So, she never called you?" asked Kimoto as he strolled up to the check out desk.

Andy frowned slightly, "No. And I can't get a hold of her either."

"You know, maybe it's best that she hasn't called. She probably feels guilty for what happened to you. She seems like to type to lament that it's all her fault. Perhaps she thinks that she should keep her distance from now on. It's probably better for everyone that she does. I mean look at all the trouble that she started! If she did go on tour with you something even worse might happen, and I'm sure that she wouldn't want anything else to happen to you."

Andy nodded in understanding. Miaka did tend to blame herself for things like that. He also remember that she had tried several times to put some distance between herself and Tamahome for the good of the mission to summon Suzaku. Hopefully she wasn't going to try to distance herself from him in the same way.

Maybe it was a little possessive, but now that he had her he was never going to let go. He finally had the girl of his dreams and nothing and nobody was going to come between them. A niggling feeling in the back of his mind said, What about Houki? He really didn't know. He and Houki had had a son together. What would he do if he ever saw her again?

He knew that it was cowardly, but he really didn't want to think about that at the moment. He had just had a major memory download and it was going to take a long time for him to sort through all of the issues that came with it. But now was definitely not the time. He couldn't afford to waste time thinking about that when he had less than a day to find Miaka and sort things out with her first.

And his only problem was…

He didn't know where to look.

Where would she go if she couldn't go home? The first thought that came to mind was Taka's house, but Miaka had told him that Taka had no permanent residence in Tokyo anymore since he'd accepted his internship.

And then there was that friend of hers…

Of course!

Yui!

She'd go and stay with Yui!

Err… What was her last name? Hono? Hobo? Hong…Kong?

Hongo!

"Excuse me, Doctor, but do you have a phone book?"

* * *

Miaka sighed heavily as she picked at her food and nervously tugged at an errant stand of hair that refused to stay behind her ear. Staring downwards at the burger and fries that Yui had literally dragged her out of the apartment to go and buy, Miaka decided that she had to be sick. She'd only chewed several of her French fries in half and taken a single bite of her cheeseburger. Well, then again, she'd been so worried about Andy that she could hardly sit still and supposed that the reason she couldn't eat much was because of nerves.

She wrinkled her nose at the food and glanced up to see Yui glaring at her from underneath her blonde bangs. "What?" she asked, and glanced down to see that Yui had finished her food already, "Did you want some more fries?" Miaka offered Yui the carton of fries.

"NO!" Yui snarled and slammed her hands on the table—earning odd looks from the other customers—"Miaka you have to eat something! Someone with as hyped up a metabolism as you is going to wither and die within a day if you don't get some food into you now!" Yui huffed and glared for all she was worth, looking very much like an angry cat.

"I know… but I just don't feel hungry. I'm too worried about Andy."

"I don't care if the world ends tomorrow! Eat or I kill you now!" Yui even went so far as to reach over the table and attempt to stuff at least three French fries into Miaka's mouth at once.

"Hey-oomph! Mwuueeeee!" Miaka wailed as she grudgingly chewed the food and swallowed. "That was mean!"

Yui held another fry under Miaka's nose and waved it threateningly.

"Oh, alright! Bossy…" she muttered as she began to eat with a little more enthusiasm than she had been.

Her work done, Yui folded her arms and nodded in self-satisfaction.

After a few moments of silence, Miaka asked, "So what would be the best way to sneak back into the hospital? I'm sure Kimoto has guards posted all over the place by now."

Yui rubbed her chin in thought—giving a very nice impression of an evil genius as she did so, "I think we've been thinking about the situation in too small of a scope. Perhaps instead of trying to get in to see him we should wait for him to come out to see us. The sidewalk outside the building is public domain. We could just stand there and wait for him to walk out himself."

Miaka's green eyes lit up, "Yui that's brilliant!" somehow having regained her appetite, Miaka finished her food in seconds before grabbing Yui by the wrist and heading out the door.

As they headed towards the hospital Miaka glanced at her watch. "You don't think he's left yet, do you? I mean, he does have a fairly serious wound, right? They'd keep him for a while, right? They wouldn't just let him go after a few hours, right?"

Seeing as she had no choice but to be dragged along by her friend, Yui rolled her eyes as she jogged to keep up, "Right!"

When they came to a busy intersection, they stopped; as much to catch their breath as to wait for the light to change. Yui, slumped against the nearest wall. She felt like her heart was going to mutiny pretty soon if she had to keep up this sort of pace. Then…

"I can't believe they released him already!"

"Me neither! And did you hear? He's still planning on doing the farewell show tonight! Can you believe that?"

"No! Really!"

"Yes, really! Oh look! Here it is again on the news!"

Yui blinked and then glanced behind herself. She was leaning against one of those windows that hade, like, ten TV's in it, all tuned to different channels.

Three of which were all tuned to news channels airing the same story.

"Miaka! Look!"

Miaka turned and nearly threw herself against the glass. _No Andy! Don't leave yet! I haven't told you how I feel about you!_

A woman standing nearby snorted and said, "Yeah, honey. You and half the female population of Tokyo."

Miaka blinked and turned to Yui. "Did I say that out loud?"

Yui nodded and then shook her head. (Making herself look kind of confused) "You really are a dingus, you know? We shouldn't even bother now. That report was shot at least an hour ago."

Miaka visibly deflated. It seemed the life had gone out of her. The hope that had been keeping her moving thus far was beginning to fail.

_Well._ Yui thought. _I'm just going to have to breathe some more life and hope into you now aren't I? After all, you've done it for me enough times…_

"Don't worry, Miaka. We won't let him leave until you can confess your love! I'm surprised it took you this long to do it, but I'll make sure it happens!" Yui felt the sudden urge to smack her head against the wall for saying something so cheesy, but refrained when she saw how much better it had made Miaka feel.

"Really, Yui? You mean it?"

"Am I your best friend or not?" Yui smiled and wrapped an arm around Miaka's shoulders. "Don't worry. I have just the idea."

* * *

Andy ran his hands through his hair nervously as he paced back and forth backstage. He'd called Yui's apartment at least fifteen times in hopes that Miaka and Yui would have gone there, but he had had no such luck. Around the tenth time Yui's mother was home and by number thirteen she was getting quite annoyed with him calling.

Biting his lip in a way that would make any fangirl swoon, Andy double-checked things that he knew were already in tiptop shape and periodically peeked out onto the stage in the hopes that he might see Miaka's face in the sea of screaming fans. However, he had had no suck luck as of yet.

Miaka's absence had made him increasingly nervous and doubtful throughout the day. The cynical part of him that was used to being rejected and played with by others was telling him that she wasn't coming and that he'd been a fool to think that anything with her ever could have lasted.

However, the seishi part of him was simply nervous that Miaka was not there yet. Could she have been hurt? Where was she? Andy knew, he knew with all his heart, that Miaka was not the type to desert and abandon someone. It was his brain that needed convincing.

He ran his hands through his hair again as Kimoto walked by.

"Oi! Son, I'll just be stepping out for a few moments, you'll have to start the show without me. I have a couple of errands to run before we leave later tonight." He started to walk away and then turned to add over his shoulder, "And stop pulling your hair. We don't want it all to fall out now, do we?"

Andy made a face and muttered under his breath as Kimoto walked away and ran his hands through his hair again just to spit the old man. He sighed and rotated his shoulder again to test it out. The motion was fine as long as he kept himself on just the right amount of pain medication that he could still think clearly. At the hospital they'd had him on a slightly higher dosage than he should have been and now that he thought about it was probably why he'd fallen for Kimoto's oh-so transparent lie about Miaka planning to call him later.

His cell phone was still in the limo, and Miaka didn't have any other way to contact him.

Andy thought for a moment that he ought to go out and find Miaka. With his newly resurfaced seishi abilities he should be able to find her fairly easily. It wasn't long though before something else told him that he and Miaka had a habit of running into each other. He had a feeling that she would be there before the end of the night, and something was telling him to trust that feeling.

Besides, if he was wrong then he would simply refuse to get on the plane. He was an Emperor after all and certainly in charge of himself.

Andy shook his head a bit. How long was it going to take his past and present memories to integrate themselves with each other? He wasn't Emperor anymore, although, he had noticed since he'd regained his memories that he carried himself a little differently now and was certainly more… well. Different in small ways. He didn't quite know _how_ he was different, but he most definitely _was._ s

Of course, he could chalk that up to just having remembered a whole other lifetime.

He felt almost like kicking himself for having had to learn the same things from Miaka all over again. She had already taught him how to be himself in the book world, and now she had had to do it all over again. He now understood all of the subtle hints that he had noticed along the way that made him feel like he should have known her, and known everything that she was telling him.

A techie chose that moment to run by and tell him that it was five minutes to curtain.

_Where was she?_

* * *

"Just our luck that the tickets were sold out." Muttered Yui as she and Miaka settled into a sedate pace back to where they could more easily hail a cab.

"That is _so_ it." Growled Miaka. "We've run around today like chickens with our heads cut off and so far what do we have to show for it? Nothing!"

"So, you're saying what?" asked Yui, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. "That we should give up?"

"Absolutely not!" Miaka barked, her hands fisting inside her pockets. "We're going to sneak in."

Yui blinked, "We? As in both of us?"

"Of course both of us. It'll be harder to catch two of us than one. And if we run fast enough we'll be able to find Andy and he can make sure we don't get in trouble." Miaka cracked her knuckles in anticipation, "See? I've got it all worked out. No need to worry."

It didn't take long to hail a cab, but as soon as they turned towards the auditorium where the concert was being held, things slowed up considerably. The girls cursed their luck and sat back to wait out the long ride they had ahead of them.

The taxi driver hadn't bothered to speak to them other than to get the gist of where they wanted to go, but now he turned the radio up a bit so that the girls could hear it clearly from where they were in the back seat.

"And there's a five car pileup on 13th Street." The DJ announced, then he laughed, "You know, I feel bad for all those poor sould who're going to the Andy Wong concert. That crash is just right in the way and is causing a major backup in traffic that could cost some fans the entire show of they don't find an alternate route."

Miaka closed her eyes and groaned, letting her head fall back against the cracked leather seats of the taxi. "Damnit." It just so happened that they were right in the middle of the traffic buildup. Normally, even with Tokyo traffic as thick as usual, it would take forty-five minutes to make the distance by car. If one where to try and walk that distance it would take two, three, maybe even four times as long. The DJ came on again and noted that cleanup for the accident might take about an hour or so and then they can get traffic moving again.

Miaka glanced at her watch as she had been doing obsessively for the last hour or so and noted that Andy's show had started about half an hour ago. Miaka mentally calculated that the most time efficient thing would be to just wait for traffic to get moving again, but at the same time it was driving her absolutely crazy to just sit still and _wait_.

So she got out of the cab.

Yui made a startled noise and grabbed onto Miaka's arm, "Wait! Won't it take longer to walk than it will just to wait this out?"

Miaka turned and fixed Yui with her 'look,' the one that clearly stated that she was dead serious in whatever she was about to do and if you were in her way you had best get yourself out of it.

"I can't just sit around and do nothing anymore. At least if I'm moving I'll feel better."

Yui's logical minded brain just couldn't understand Miaka's reasoning, but nonetheless, she paid the cab driver and followed her best friend into the crowded streets of Tokyo, hoping to any god that would listen that she knew what she was doing.

Andy scanned the crowd as he sang. Most people probably didn't notice, but his heart just wasn't in what he was singing. His finger played effortlessly over the strings on the guitar and he had to wonder exactly what kind of pain medication it was that they had given him. If he didn't know better it was almost like he'd never even been shot.

The audience sang along loudly—and badly if Andy had anything to say about it—and moved to the beat of the music as though they were one huge single body. Andy thought it was almost magical to see all those people being so affected by the music.

However, there was one fact he had been searching for all night that he had thus far not been able to find.

Every time he scanned the crowd and she wasn't there Andy felt himself becoming a little bit more disheartened. Even so, he could not bring himself to completely give up hope that she would be there. And even if she didn't show up for one reason or another, he wanted her and the whole world to know exactly how he felt about her. No strings attached and no questions asked.

Time was short. Andy was scheduled to leave not long after the end of the concert.

As in, there was a private mini-jet waiting just outside the backdoor.

Meaning that if a certain Miko didn't haul ass, she was going to miss telling the love of her life how she felt about him.

Miaka grunted slightly as she squeezed between two people that, for appearing to be total strangers, were entirely too close together on the sidewalk.

Not to mention that they were blocking her road.

"Come on, Yui!" Miaka called as she tugged her best friend through the mass of people after her.

She knew she was being exceptionally rude, but she needed to get somewhere fast and there were just so many gosh-darned people that had decided to be in her way! "Excuse me. Yeah. Pardon me. Coming through!" she said as she squeezed by a woman that she supposed she could call overweight, but even in her rush, Miaka would have liked to think of her as "well-rounded" and curvy.

_Though,_ she thought, _I'd swear I heard an audible 'pop' when I pulled myself through…_

At the next corner the girls paused to catch their breath. They had high-tailed it all the way from their cab, to where they were now, which was less than a block away from the auditorium that was their destination.

_Thank Suzaku. I'm not in shape enough for this…_ Miaka mentally wheezed as she and Yui, hand in hand, ran full-tilt for the brightly lit building. Now that they were so close, all politeness and courtesy seemed to have been forgotten, they both earned many a disgruntled and angry look as they went on their way.

Miaka reached the counter first, Yui not far behind, and panted, "Sir! Did we make it? Has the show ended yet?"

The man at the door jerked up from reading his paper and peered at Miaka over his glasses, "Well, yes and no. You see, it's the last song of the night. Mr. Wong will be leaving in not but a few minutes."

Miaka, perhaps too honest for her own good, bowed her head to the man and pleaded, "Please, Sir, we don't have tickets, but we ran all the way just to be here, and I think I'm gonna keel over and die if it was all for nothing…"

The man, who had to be in his sixties or seventies, blinked a few times, apparently astonished at her blatent honesty and the absurdity of her request. He adjusted his glasses, "Well…"  
Yui, seeing that he did look like a very nice and sympathetic old man also bowed her head and pleaded, "Please? You said yourself it was the last song of the night."

The girls crossed their fingers and toes.

"I supposed. Since it is the last song of the night. Just don't tell anyone." He said and winked before going back to reading his paper and pretending as though he hadn't seen them.

"Thank you, Sir! We love you!" Miaka leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking off through the double doors, leaving the old man smiling and rubbing where she'd kissed him.

* * *

Once the girls entered the auditorium, the entire audience was on their feet cheering and waving wildly at the stage where Andy, from Miaka and Yui's point of view, looked no bigger than an action figure.

Andy and the rest of the band were all on their feet at the edge of the stage, waving goodbye to Tokyo and announcing the end of the show.

Miaka's eyes went wide and she bolted down the stairs as fast as she could, watching as Andy walked off stage. She managed to make it halfway there before people began filing out of their seats and heading for the exit.

_No!_ She mentally screamed as the random people not only blocked her path, but were actually pushing her back towards where she'd come from. She cursed her genes for her small stature and continued trying to push her way through the torrent of people. It wasn't long before she started yelling Andy's name, not caring if the people around her thought she was a lunatic or whatever.

"Andy! Wait! Don't leave yet!" I'm right here! Andy!" Miaka yelled, not noticing the brilliant glow that had begun to radiate from her skin.

* * *

Andy paused as he stooped to put away his guitar. "Miaka?" He could have sworn he'd heard her voice. He shook his head. He'd probably just been imagining things. But somehow… he felt an unexplainable, undeniable urge to go back out on the stage.

He glanced around for Kimoto and saw him motoring away on his cell phone. When Kimoto realized Andy was watching him, he waved and then turned and continued talking. Andy frowned. What was he doing?

Why was he letting that guy run his life?

What kind of life was it to travel constantly, living out of a suitcase, never make any friends and never see your family?

Miaka was right.

He was going to have to start answering to himself and those he loved.

Without a word, Andy picked up his guitar and headed back towards the stage—hoping that the line of security guards was still there as he didn't relish the thought of being mauled by rabid fan girls.

He blinked as he walked out under the hot stage lights and purposefully made his way to the microphone.

Some of the audience paused, seeing Andy walk out onto the stage. Others continued to leave, not realizing that the pop star had one last surprise for them that night.

"Excuse me." He began, and slowly the milling of the audience halted and everyone turned to look at him. Andy swallowed, for the first time in a great while feeling nervous with all of these sets of eyes glued onto him. He wiped a bead of sweat that had formed on his forehead and continued, "I would like for all of you to please go back to your seats and sit down. I have once last song for you all tonight."

Andy glanced over his shoulder and saw that Kimoto had paused in his conversation and was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "It's a new song. One that none of you have ever heard before—in fact, I just wrote it this last week." He smiled and scanned the faces in the crowd, "You see, while I was here in Tokyo, I met a girl. She's one of the best people that I have ever known, or could ever hope to meet. From the moment I met her, we had a connection. Something that I just couldn't explain. And even though I've only known her for a little while, it feels like I've always known her. Like we knew each other in another life or something."

He paused as out of the corner of his eye he could see Kimoto hopping around like an insane flea just offstage, motioning for Andy to stop what he was doing and boy was he going to be in trouble once Kimoto got a hold of him.

But right now, Andy didn't care.

He had to do this.

For himself, as well as a way to let Miaka and the whole world know how he felt about her.

"I wrote this song especially for her. I don't know if she's here tonight or not. It seems the last day or so we've had trouble getting hold of one another, but I thought that singing this tonight would be a good way to let everyone know how I feel."

With that, Andy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to play. After the first few chords, he began to sing and the whole auditorium witnessed what their beloved pop star could really do.

"Maybe its intuition, but some things you just don't question," Andy's heart was beating so hard, he felt he was going to faint. He opened his eyes just wide enough to peek at the audience and then closed them again. At least they hadn't started throwing tomatoes at him yet.

"Like in your eyes I see my future in an instant, and there it goes, I think I found my best friend." Andy swallowed in the short amount of time he had before the next line and then took a breath, knowing that once he walked off the stage he was most definitely out of a job.

"I know that it might sound more than a little crazy, but I believe…" Well, he thought, if I'm going to lose my job, I might as well go out in style. Might as well make the most of this… He opened his eyes and nearly cut off in mid-chord, because right there, at the foot of the stage just beyond the line of security gaurds, was Miaka.

She was standing there, her hands over her mouth and those beautiful green eyes of hers were gleaming with happiness and something that Andy found he could not quite describe. He shot her a winning grin and belted out the chorus. "I knew I loved you before I met you, I think I dreamed you into life, I knew I loved you before I met you, I have been waiting all my life…"

Miaka could hardly contain herself as she watched Andy from the edge of the stage. Those were his lyrics! He was finally singing his own songs!

And from the sound of it, this one was about her!

Well. She'd never thought of herself as a muse, but this song wasn't half bad. In fact, it was so beautiful that Miaka found herself wanting to cry again for the umpteenth time that week.

Miaka held back until Andy came to the end of the song. Then she launched herself past the line of security guards, up onto the stage, and into Andy's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his unhurt shoulder.

"Andy! I so glad I caught you! I was so worried that you'd leave before I had a chance to tell you." Miaka's fingers automatically dug themselves into the silken curtain of hair that was at present bound up in a low, loose ponytail. As his warm arms encircled her, Miaka doubted that she could remember being so happy.

"Tell me what?" Andy asked, pressing his face into Miaka's hair, disheveled and slightly tangled as it was.

Miaka looked up, her nose mere millimeters from Andy's own, "That I love you." She said honestly, touching her nose to his gently. "I think I've held back long enough. I _will_ go on tour with you."

Never mind that he was probably fired by now. They could talk about that later. "I also have something to tell you." Andy placed a kiss on Miaka's temple and rocked her slowly from side to side as he held her. Softly he whispered into her hair, "I remember."

Miaka jerked back, her eyes going wide and her heart skipping a beat, "Y-you, remember? Me? The book? _Everything_?"

He nodded and whispered, "Everything."

Before Miaka had a chance to say anything more, Andy captured her lips and kissed her thoroughly. Surprisingly, instead of materializing pitchforks and torches, the crowd cheered like crazy at the spectacle.

Hearing the crowd going wild, Andy smiled against Miaka's lips and pulled away slowly, leaving Miaka dazed and depending on his strength to hold her upright. His hand finding hers, Andy threaded his fingers through hers and lowered his face so that his lips were right next to Miaka's ear. She shivered as his warm breath tickled her.

"Miaka, will you be my Empress?"

Miaka blinked, startled at the wording of his proposal. When her hazy mind finally dissected what it was that he meant, her smile widened and her eyes sparkled, because of course, he already knew the answer to that.

And so, she simply kissed him.

The End (Finally)

With the exception of the Epilogue. Damn.

* * *

AN1: Okay. Something about how I broke up the scenes here bothers me. They seems too short, but they seemed detailed enough to me in their own right. I guess it seems weird because I was trying to make it seem like scenes from a movie or something.

AN2: Okay. I have another question! I just realized that I've read a lot of FY self-insert-replace-Miaka-as-Miko fics and have bitched about them being Mary-Sue's and unoriginal. And since I've never tried it, that makes me a hypocrite. So. I've decided to challenge myself to writing a self-insert fic with as many elements of a typical Mary-Sue that I dare to put in (you guys can even suggest some in a review for this chapter if you want) and see if I can actually create a non-Mary-Sue fic. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even possible. Thus, I am going to need as many of you that know and hate Mary-Sue's as possible to read and review that fic in order to let me know how I'm doing.

So… review here and suggest stuff for me to throw in there that are typical to a Mary Sue. Like falling in love with a seishi for example. (Make me stick myself with Hotohori so I don't have to feel guilty about choosing to do so myself!) So, go ahead. Suggest away!


	20. Epilogue

We Will Meet Again

Epilogue

Yumiko Kaze

The airport terminal was packed, even at the late hour that it was, mostly because of the fact that Andy (and Miaka) were going to be departing on a flight in less than fifteen minutes. So of course there were quite a few reporters and photographers crawling around the place.

Humorously enough, the first one to get irritated at the reporters presence was Mrs. Yuuki, who promptly managed to put the fear of God into each and every one of them and send them running.

So _that_ was where Miaka got her commanding aura from, Andy mused silently.

Andy mentally reminded himself to never let himself get on Miaka's bad side. Not if she was that scary.

Miaka and Andy went to say goodbye to Mrs. Yuuki and give her a hug. Miaka gave her a kiss on the cheek before moving on to say goodbye to the others.

Andy shuffled a bit nervously as he stood before Mrs. Yuuki. There was so much that he wanted to say to her.

Other than the slight fear he had of the woman, Andy really wanted nothing more than to thank her and congratulate her for raising Miaka. Without her his country would have been destroyed and so many more people would have died. Without Miaka, he would never have known how to be himself. However, he realized that telling Mrs. Yuuki about the other world was likely not a very good idea and so he decided to wait until later to do so, when he could put what he felt into more eloquent wording.

And so, he simply hugged her and then hugged Keisuke, Tetsuya, and Yui in turn.

By then, he and Miaka had reached Taka.

Andy and Taka hadn't really gotten a chance to speak to each other until now, Seishi to Seishi that is, and now that they had the opportunity neither one really knew what to say. The selfish part of Andy almost felt like saying "nya nya nya nya nya nya!" but that would neither be Emperor-like nor polite.

And so he refrained.

Mostly though, Andy was just glad to see a fellow Seishi alive and well.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence Taka made the first move, placing his hand on Andy's good shoulder, though not yet managing to make eye contact, as he spoke to both Miaka and Andy. "You guys know that the thing I want more than anything in the world is to make Miaka happy." He took a breath, "and I guess what I'm trying to say is that if it has to be anyone else but me…" he trailed off and then looked Andy in the eye, "I'm glad it's you."

Miaka cleared her throat and then slid the ring she had worn for the last few years, the shinzaho, off her finger. "I suppose that it wouldn't really be appropriate for me to keep this, now that we aren't together anymore." She took Taka's hand and placed the ring in it. "But it is still the shinzaho, so you'd better protect it." She smiled and stepped back, picking up her carry-on bag as she and Andy headed towards the gate.

"Don't worry." She added, "You'll find someone else. Someone who deserves you more than me." She paused and then glanced at her brother, "After all, _Keisuke_ found a girlfriend." Miaka held up a finger, "Still haven't met her, but he has one. Therefore hell hath frozen over. If _he_ can find someone, you won't have to look far. Maybe you even already know her."

Taka snorted, at the same time going through a mental checklist of the girls he knew, "Feh. Not likely." He laughed.

Keisuke interrupted, holding up the paper he'd picked up while they were waiting for the plane to start boarding passengers. "Hey! Look at this! Ayame is being indicted for attempted murder! Her lawyer is pleading insanity and disability."

Tetsuya shook his head, "Wow, you never know, do ya? Crazy people…"

Yui nodded her agreement before frowning and asking, "So, Andy. What exactly did Mr. Kimoto think of your little stunt? He probably wasn't very happy, was he?"

Andy snorted, "That is definitely an understatement. He was furious! In fact, he fired me on the spot after the show." He wrapped an arm around Miaka's shoulders and pulled her closer, "In fact I had to spend most of the ride here convincing Miaka that it wasn't her fault. With the response I got from that crowd, it shouldn't be hard to find another manager."

Taka shifted. His arm was starting to hurt again. Not to mention that all the standing he was doing was really putting a crick in his leg. Suzaku, was he getting old or what? He shifted again and started when he felt someone run right smack into him.

"Ow! Sorry! My fault! Damn clogs…" muttered a familiar sounding voice.

Taka blinked at the mop of brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail and then realized who it was.

That's when Yumiko decided to look up and saw who she'd run into. "Oh. It's you. Nevermind. I take it back."

Taka made an incredulous noise, "It was an apology. A _deserved_ apology no less. You can't just take it _back_! And by the way, watch where you're going!"

"Me? You watch where _you're_ standing!"

The others watched idly for a minute before Tetsuya cleared his throat and broke in, "Did anyone ever tell you that you two argue like a married couple?"

The two in question froze in mid-sentence before shouting (Yumiko's face having gone mysteriously red), "We do _not_!" in unison.

Tetsuya and Yui looked at each other and nodded, "Married couple."

Yumiko flushed again, though with embarrassment or anger one could not be entirely sure. "I wouldn't marry him if he were the last male on Earth!"

With that she shoved Taka, spun on her heel, and—her clogs not agreeing with such a sharp movement—promptly fell right back into Taka, sending them both to the ground with a fairly good-sized "thud."

"I _knew_ she was seme." Miaka looked up and saw Anwe, who until this point had remained unnoticed. The quiet blonde, as always, had held her tongue until she could get a good jab in at someone. Namely Yumiko.

When Yumiko had crashed into Taka, he had hit the ground first, followed shortly by Yumiko herself who had ended up sprawled across the teal-haired man.

Eyes widening once she saw where she had landed, Yumiko swallowed and then pulled herself up, dusted herself off, "Like I said. Watch where you're standing." and then flounced away towards Anwe with her nose in the air like nothing had happened.

Keisuke, catching sight of Anwe, waved and his expression noticeably brightened. Anwe, for her part, saw him and reddened, waving shyly back.

Miaka watched this exchange silently and then asked where they knew each other from.

Upon hearing their explanation, however, Miaka blanched and wrinkled her nose, "Oh my _God_! _You_ were his hot date? Anwe, ewwwww! I thought you had better taste than that!" _He's my brother! Gross!_

Andy chuckled politely as he watched the siblings slam each other verbally while Taka and Yumiko each pretended the other didn't exist. "Ah," he sighed as he nodded to himself, "people in love are dense."

That was when he caught sight of, lo and behold, the flower lady—this time selling flowers from a boutique cart on wheels.

"_Taitsukun_?" he blurted incredulously.

Upon hearing her name, Taitsukun wheeled her cart over—it appeared to be quite a feat as she was so incredibly short and the cart looked like it weighed more than she could handle.

Good Suzaku. How could he have forgotten that _face_?

Then again. Maybe it was a good thing as he surely would have been given nightmares as a child.

Hoping that the old woman couldn't read minds, Andy inclined his head and, because there were at least three people nearby who didn't know who she really was, simply said, "Thank you for helping me with the flowers."

Something that looked suspiciously like a smirk crossed the creators face before she answered him, "You're welcome."

By this time, Miaka had noticed who Andy was talking to and had come over to put in her two cents. "Taitsukun! What are you doing here?"

"Well. Seeing as I seem to always have to look out for you and your seishi, I thought I'd drop by to observe what was going on. It's not my fault I had to disguise myself as a florist and inadvertently meddle with things."

Miaka and Andy looked at each other and then back at Taitsukun, "Meddle? What?"

Taitsukun rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. "Nevermind. Just take this here." She then handed them a small package wrapped in plain brown paper. "I think you'll find this useful."

Miaka shook her head, utterly confused, "What are you talking about?"

Taitsukun did not answer immediately. Instead her eyes wandered downward, appearing to be studying the not very interesting linoleum floor. "Oh nothing you need to know. By the way Miaka, how did you like those flowers?"

"The flowers? What? Of course I liked them, they were beautiful. Why?" Miaka was beginning to get a little suspicious of the old lady.

"Well, it appears that they did their job."

Andy frowned, "What job?

The creator rolled her eyes and growled, "Idiot. Remember that I told you that flowers have meanings?"

Come to think of it, yes, she had mentioned something about symbolism and that flowers had been used for centuries in potions and spells of all kinds. She had told him that most of the flowers he had bought for Miaka had represented love, but then she had shoved those last three at him as he was walking out the door…

"Taitsukun, if you don't mid my asking, exactly what did those last three flowers stand for? And the ones you gave us at the dance?"

The creator smirked again, her eyes dropping again and this time Miaka realized that she wasn't staring at the floor. "Oh, they did their job too." She nodded before folding her arms behind her back Jedi style and walking away.

_Okay. She looked _entirely_ too smug._ Andy thought, his heart beginning to beat nervously. Just what had that sneaky old biddy been up too? "But what did they symbolize?" Andy asked, somewhat frantically.

Taitsukun stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Fertility."

The End.

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**AN:** The quote "People in love are dense." Is owned by Arashi… It ain't mine. And the giving the ring back idea actually came from KittyLynne's "The Promise." Well. Sort of. I really liked the way she did it in that story, the way she did it just made so much sense. I almost forgot about the fact that it was there while writing most of this story, so the fact I mention it at the end is just kind of a short, "I forgot this in the rest of the story and so here it is in all its underwritten glory" type thing. I really should have made it more symbolic and all, being as it is a promise/engagement ring, not to mention a mystical artifact, but… I didn't. So there.

Oh. And the slight, slight, slight (did I mention slight?) hinting at Yumiko/Taka is because, well, I felt bad leaving him all by his lonesome and someone who reviewed was asking me to please not leave him all alone. Thus, the somewhat scary idea of Yumi/Taka was born. Mostly because the only female characters I had to work with were the kennel girls, Shiko, and Ayame. Hayai'd have killed me if I paired her off with him. Rae, Arashi, and Kieru probably wouldn't have cared much. But I thought the kind of love/hate thing I could do with Yumi/Taka was just a lot more fun. Same thing with Anwe/Keisuke, just a random, "I'm going to poke fun at my friend this way" thingy.

Oh. And just what where Yumiko and Anwe doing there? We'll say they were meeting their American friend that was coming for a visit.


End file.
